Organisation profile

Sustainability has many facets. Inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching characterize the School of Sustainability. Scientists in our research projects work together in the laboratory, on the heath, in the grassland, in the classroom, with the city administration, with farmers, with non-governmental organizations, with companies, with students in the lecture hall and of course at their desks.

Furthermore, we work with regional and national political actors, e.g. ministries, as well as international organizations, e.g. UNEP, UNESCO, EU. We are part of national and international bodies, e.g. sustainability advisory boards of companies, member of the German Sustainability Award, World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), in order to contribute to social change with scientific findings.

Main research areas

Vision
Sustainability science investigates on a theoretical, conceptual and empirical level how to promote sustainable development and how to find and implement effective solutions for current social and ecological challenges. The aim is to create a more sustainable future.

Sustainability researchers are called upon to take responsibility for their research, which is anchored in existing scientific knowledge and methods and serves to make the world a better place for everyone.

Mission
We promote change towards a sustainable future by developing theories, concepts and practices of inclusive education for sustainability, research, governance and management.

We acknowledge the diversity and dynamics of values, norms and behaviour and contribute with transdisciplinary methods to ensuring that tensions and differences between different disciplines, methods, topics and standards are fruitfully taken up and used with productive compromises and further developments towards sustainable development.

Principles
The School of Sustainability is guided by the normative concepts of ecological system integrity and social and economic justice.

Ecological system integrity refers to the safeguarding of life-support systems, as well as the maintenance of the well-being of life on Earth.

With social and economic justice we strive for a world in which all people can fulfil their potential without endangering system integrity and the well-being of others.

Information about the School
The School of Sustainability includes...
... ca. 25 professors
... ca. 100 research assistants
... ca. 1000 students in Bachelor and Master courses

In various inter- and transdisciplinary projects we are constantly researching and working together on changes and solutions for current challenges.

  1. Published

    Education for Sustainable Development

    Sewilam, H., McCormack, O., Osório-Peters, S. & Mader, M., 2013, New Life Sciences : linking science to society: BioVisionAlexandria 2012. Serageldin, I., Yahia, M., El-Faham, M. & El-Wakil, M. (eds.). Bibliotheca Alexandrina, p. 197 - 206 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  2. Published

    Nachhaltige Entwicklung durch Bildung

    Stoltenberg, U., 2014, In: Natur und Landschaft. 89, Jubiläumsausgabe, p. 21-25 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesEducationpeer-review

  3. Published

    Bird community responses to the edge between suburbs and reserves

    Ikin, K., Barton, P. S., Knight, E., Lindenmayer, D. B., Fischer, J. & Manning, A. D., 02.2014, In: Oecologia. 174, 2, p. 545-557 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Environmental Policy and Landscape Architecture

    Fischer, H., Michelsen, G. & Wolschke-Bulmahn, J., 2014, Environmental Policy and Landscape Architecture. Wolschke-Bulmahn, J., Fischer, H. & Ozacky-Lazar, S. (eds.). München: Akademische Verlagsgemeinschaft , p. 11-18 8 p. (CGL-Studies; vol. 18).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    (Higher) Education for Sustainable Development

    Michelsen, G., 2014, Environmental Policy and Landscape Architecture. Fischer, H., Ozacky-Lazar, S. & Wolschke-Bulmahn, J. (eds.). 1. ed. München: Akademische Verlagsgemeinschaft , p. 43-50 8 p. (CGL-Studies; vol. 18).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Heterogenität, Inklusion und Sachunterricht: Beiträge der Hochschulbildung?

    Offen, S., 2014, In: www.widerstreit-sachunterricht.de. 20, 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Ecological impacts of oil palm agriculture on forest mammals in plantation estates and smallholdings

    Azhar, B., Lindenmayer, D. B., Wood, J. T., Fischer, J. & Zakaria, M., 05.2014, In: Biodiversity and Conservation. 23, 5, p. 1175-1191 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Implementation of Sustainability Management and Company Size: A Knowledge-Based View

    Hörisch, J., Johnson, M. & Schaltegger, S., 01.12.2015, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 24, 8, p. 765-779 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Pathogen induced disturbance and succession in temperate forests: Evidence from a 100-year data set in southern Sweden

    Brunet, J., Bukina, Y., Hedwall, P.-O., Holmström, E. & Oheimb, G., 03.2014, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 15, 2, p. 114-121 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Klimaschutz: Beispiel Moorrenaturierung

    Oheimb, G., Köbbing, J. F. & Groth, M., 2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Heinrichs, H. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Berlin: Springer Spektrum, p. 455-471 17 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review