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

    Ökologische verträgliche Mobilität oder Es ist angerichtet: ein utopisches Menue

    Bergmann, M. & Jahn, T., 1999, Jahrbuch Ökologie. Altner, G., Mettler-von Meiborn, B. & Simonis, U. E. (eds.). C.H. Beck Verlag, 10 p.

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

  2. Published

    Learning not only by doing - Erfahrungen eines interdisziplinären Forschungsverbundes am Beispiel CITY:mobil

    Bergmann, M. & Jahn, T., 1999, Stadtökologische Forschung: Theorie und Anwendungen. Friedrichs, J. & Hollaender, K. (eds.). Berlin: Analytica Verlagsgesellschaft, Vol. 6. p. 251-275 25 p.

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

  3. Published

    Kritische Technikfolgenabschätzung und Handlungsfolgenabschätzung: TA-orientierte Bewertungsverfahren zwischen stadtökologischer Forschung und kommunaler Praxis

    Bergmann, M., Schramm, E. & Wehling, P., 1999, Stadtökologische Forschung : Theorien und Anwendungen. Friedrichs, J. & Hollaender, K. (eds.). Berlin: Analytica Verlagsgesellschaft, Vol. 6. p. 443-463 21 p.

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

  4. Published

    CITY:mobil : A Model for Integration in Sustainability Research

    Bergmann, M. & Jahn, T., 2008, Handbook of Transdisciplinary Research. Hadorn, G. H., Hoffmann-Riem, H., Biber-Klemm, S., Großenbacher-Mansuy, W., Joye, D., Pohl, C., Wiesmann, U. & Zemp, E. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer, p. 89-102 14 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  5. Published

    Grenzüberschreitung und Integration: Die formative Evaluation transdisziplinärer Forschung und ihre Kriterien

    Bergmann, M. & Schramm, E., 2008, Transdisziplinäre Forschung: integrative Forschungsprozesse verstehen und bewerten. Bergmann, M. & Schramm, E. (eds.). Frankfurt a. M./New York: Campus Verlag, p. 149-175 16 p.

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

  6. Published

    Forschungsförderung unter dem Aspekt transdisziplinärer Integrationsaufgaben

    Bergmann, M., 2008, Transdisziplinäre Forschung: Integrative Forschungsprozesse verstehen und bewerten. Bergmann, M. & Schramm, E. (eds.). Frankfurt a. M./New York: Campus Verlag, p. 293-315 23 p.

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

  7. Published
  8. Published
  9. Published

    Sustainable Entrepreneurship in the Apparel Industry: The Case of Manomama

    Plieth, H., Bullinger, A. C. & Hansen, E. G., 2012, In: The Journal of Corporate Citizenship. 2012, 45, p. 123-138 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    The impact of climate change on aquatic risk from agricultural pesticides in the US

    Koleva, N. G. & Schneider, U. A., 2010, In: International Journal of Environmental Studies. 67, 5, p. 677-704 28 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch