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

    Pollination and Plant Resources Change the Nutritional Quality of Almonds for Human Health

    Brittain, C., Kremen, C., Garber, A. K. & Klein, A.-M., 27.02.2014, In: PLoS ONE. 9, 2, 7 p., e90082.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published
  3. Published
  4. Published

    Modeling approach of thermal decomposition of salt-hydrates for heat storage systems

    Fopah Lele, A., Kuznik, F., Rammelberg, H., Schmidt, T. & Ruck, W., 14.07.2013, ASME 2013 Heat Transfer Summer Conference collocated with the ASME 2013 7th International Conference on Energy Sustainability and the ASME 2013 11th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology: Heat Transfer in Energy Systems; Thermophysical Properties; Theory and Fundamental Research in Heat Transfer. A. (ed.). The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Vol. 1. p. Paper No. HT2013-17022, pp. V001T01A010; 10 pages 10 p. V001T01A010. (ASME 2013 Heat Transfer Summer Conference collocated with the ASME 2013 7th International Conference on Energy Sustainability and the ASME 2013 11th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology; vol. 1).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Transport of perfluoroalkyl acids in a water-saturated sediment column investigated under near-natural conditions

    Vierke, L., Möller, A. & Klitzke, S., 01.03.2014, In: Environmental Pollution. 186, p. 7-13 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Impact of climate change and pollution driven land use changes on Elbe river (Northern Germany) floodplain vegetation.

    Krüger, F., Scharnke, M., Torres, E., Schneider, W. & Urban, B., 2013, 8th International Congress on Climate Change: Territorial Classification & Socio- economic Crisis,. Lakshumanan, C., Jonathan, M. P., Prasanna, N., Aquino, R. C. & Chapa, R. C. (eds.). Bharathidasan University (BDU)

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Chronometric and relative dating of the Middle Pleistocene sequence of Schöningen

    Richter, D. & Urban, B., 2013, 3rd Annual Meeting of the European Society for the study of human evolution (ESHE). European Society for the Study of Human Evolution, p. 184 1 p. (Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution; vol. 2).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  8. Published
  9. Published

    Öffentliche Nachhaltigkeitssteuerung: Das Leitbild Nachhaltigkeit – Anforderungen an die Raum- und Umweltplanung

    Hofmeister, S., 2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Heinrichs, H. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Berlin: Springer Spektrum, p. 304-316 13 p.

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

  10. Published

    Reconstructing the “biopiracy” debate from a justice perspective

    Stumpf, K. H., 2014, Concepts and Values in Biodiversity. Lanzerath, D. & Friele, M. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 225-242 18 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review