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

    Erdsystem, Klima und globale Stoffkreisläufe

    Palm, W.-U. & Urban, B., 03.2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Heinrichs, H. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Berlin: Springer, p. 213-257 45 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesEducation

  2. Published

    Water, Rivers and Wetlands

    Newig, J. & Challies, E., 2014, Routledge Handbook of global Environmental Politics. Harris, P. (ed.). London & New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 439-452 14 p. 34. (Routledge Handbooks).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticles for encyclopediaResearch

  3. Published

    First record of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on amphibians in Romania

    Vörös, J., Bosch, J., Dán, Á. & Hartel, T., 01.12.2013, In: North-Western Journal of Zoology. 9, 2, p. 446-449 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Brominated flame retardants and Dechloranes in European and American eels from glass to silver life stages

    Sühring, R., Byer, J. D., Freese, M., Pohlmann, J. D., Wolschke, H., Möller, A., Hodson, P. V., Alaee, M., Hanel, R. & Ebinghaus, R., 01.12.2014, In: Chemosphere. 116, p. 104-111 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Tetrabutylammonium prolinate-based ionic liquids: A combined asymmetric catalysis, antimicrobial toxicity and biodegradation assessment

    Ferlin, N., Courty, M., Van Nhien, A. N., Gatard, S., Pour, M., Quilty, B., Ghavre, M., Haiß, A., Kümmerer, K., Gathergood, N. & Bouquillon, S., 28.12.2013, In: RSC Advances. 3, 48, p. 26241-26251 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Reconstruction of Past and Prediction of Future Benzo[a]pyrene Concentrations Over Europe

    Bieser, J., Aulinger, A., Matthias, V. & Quante, M., 01.01.2014, Air Pollution Modeling and its Application XXII: Environmental Security. Steyn, D., Builtjes, P. & Timmermans, R. (eds.). Springer, p. 59-63 5 p. (NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security; vol. 137).

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

  7. Published

    Prospective Relations Between Adolescents' Social-emotional Competencies and Their Friendships

    Von Salisch, M., Zeman, J. L., Lüpschen, N. & Kanevski, R., 11.2014, In: Social Development. 23, 4, p. 684–701 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Estimation of the acid dissociation constant of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids through an experimental investigation of their water-to-air transport

    Vierke, L., Berger, U. & Cousins, I. T., 01.10.2013, In: Environmental Science & Technology. 47, 19, p. 11032-11039 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Electrooxidation Combined with Ozonation in Hospital Laundry Effluents Treatment

    Lutterbeck, C. A., de Oliveira Schwaickhardt, R., Straatmann, A., Kist, L. T., Lobo, E. A. & Machado, Ê. L., 05.2014, In: Clean - Soil, Air, Water. 42, 5, p. 601-608 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Host plant availability potentially limits butterfly distributions under cold environmental conditions

    Hanspach, J., Schweiger, O., Kühn, I., Plattner, M., Pearman, P. B., Zimmermann, N. E. & Settele, J., 03.2014, In: Ecography. 37, 3, p. 301-308 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review