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

    Operations Systems of Container Terminals: A Compendious Overview

    Brinkmann, B., 2011, Handbook of Termina Planning. Böse, J. W. (ed.). 1 ed. New York: Springer, p. 25-39 15 p. (Operations Research/ Computer Science Interfaces Series; vol. 49, no. 1).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  2. Published

    Landscape effects on bird and rodent communities and seed predation to agriculture in Israel.

    Schäckermann, J., Mandelik, Y., von Wehrden, H. & Klein, A.-M., 2012, In: Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie. 42, p. 147 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference abstract in journalResearchpeer-review

  3. Published
  4. Published

    Mediatisierte Politikgestaltung? Medien, Expertise und politische Entscheidungsprozesse in wissenschaftsbasierten Themenfeldern

    Heinrichs, H. & Petersen, I., 2008, Medienorientierung biomedizinischer Forscher im internationalen Vergleich: die Schnittstelle von Wissenschaft & Journalismus und ihre politische Relevanz. Peters, H. P. (ed.). Jülich: Forschungszentrum Jülich , p. 195-278 84 p. (Schriften des Forschungszentrums Jülich / Reihe Gesundheit; vol. 18).

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

  5. Published

    Risk Communication about Global Climate Change in the German Mass Media

    Peters, H. P., Heinrichs, H. & Hae-Ryong, S., 2006, In: Journal of ELSI Studies. 4, 1, p. 1-23 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Managing sustainability communication on campus: experiences from Lüneburg

    Franz-Balsen, A. & Heinrichs, H., 25.09.2007, In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 8, 4, p. 431 - 445 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Legitimizing climate policy: The "risk construct" of global climate change in the German mass media

    Peters, H. P. & Heinrichs, H., 06.2008, In: International Journal of Sustainability Communication. 3, p. 14-36 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Politikberatung in den USA: Ein Vorbild für Europa?

    Heinrichs, H., 01.01.2005, Wozu Experten?: Ambivalenzen der Beziehung von Wissenschaft und Politik. Bogner, A. & Torgersen, H. (eds.). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 291-313 23 p.

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

  9. Published

    The Energy Security of Lithuania

    Laws, N., 2012, Saarbrücken: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. 80 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  10. Published

    Advisory systems in pluralistic knowledge societies: An indicator-based typology to assess and optimize environmental policy advice

    Heinrichs, H., 2005, Democratization of Expertise?: Exploring Novel Forms of Scientific Advice in Political Decision-Making. Maasen, S. & Weingart, P. (eds.). Springer, p. 41-61 21 p. (Sociology of the Sciences Yearbook).

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