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

    Entwicklung emotionaler Kompetenzen im Vorschulalter

    Janke, B. & von Salisch, M., 2010, In: Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie. 59, 7, p. 509-512 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  2. Published

    Mass-Mediated Expertise as Informal Policy Advice

    Petersen, I., Heinrichs, H. & Peters, H. P., 01.11.2010, In: Science, Technology and Human Values. 35, 6, p. 865-887 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Accumulation of total trace metals due to rapid urbanization in microtidal zone of Pallikaranai marsh, South of Chennai, India

    Muthumanickam, J., Urban, B., Velmurugan, P. M. & Srinivasalu, S., 01.11.2010, In: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 170, 1-4, p. 609-629 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Periods of recent dune sand mobilisation in Cuddalore, Southeast India

    Frechen, M., Ramachandran, R., Urban, B. & Kunz, J.-A., 09.2010, In: Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften. 161, 3, p. 353-368 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Invertebrate diversity and national responsibility for species conservation across Europe: A multi-taxon approach

    Schuldt, A. & Aßmann, T., 11.2010, In: Biological Conservation. 143, 11, p. 2747-2756 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Tree morphology responds to neighbourhood competition and slope in species-rich forests of subtropical China

    Lang, A. C., Haerdtle, W., Bruelheide, H., Geissler, C., Nadrowski, K., Schuldt, A., Yu, M. & von Oheimb, G., 15.10.2010, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 260, 10, p. 1708-1715 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Bottom-up effects of plant diversity on multitrophic interactions in a biodiversity experiment

    Scherber, C., Eisenhauer, N., Weisser, W. W., Schmid, B., Voigt, W., Fischer, M., Schulze, E.-D., Roscher, C., Weigelt, A., Allan, E., Bonkowski, M., Buchmann, N., Buscot, F., Clement, L. W., Ebeling, A., Engels, C., Halle, S., Kertscher, I., Klein, A.-M., Koller, R., König, S., Kowalski, E., Kummer, V., Kuu, A., Lange, M., Lauterbach, D., Middelhoff, C., Migunova, V. D., Milcu, A., Müller, R., Partsch, S., Petermann, J. S., Renker, C., Rottstock, T., Sabais, A., Scheu, S., Temperton, V. M., Schumacher, J., Tscharntke, T. & Beler, H., 25.11.2010, In: Nature. 468, 7323, p. 553-556 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Revealing the coastal event-history of the Andaman Islands (Bay of Bengal) during the Holocene using radiocarbon and OSL dating

    Frechen, M., Ramachandran, R., Urban, B. & Kunz, J.-A., 01.12.2010, In: International Journal of Earth Sciences. 99, 8, p. 1741-1761 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Synthesis of Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids with the Weakly Coordinating [Al(ORF)(4)](-) Anion (R-F = C(H)(CF3)(2)) and the Determination of Their Principal Physical Properties

    Bulut, S., Klose, P., Huang, M.-M., Weingartner, H., Dyson, P. J., Laurenczy, G., Friedrich, C., Menz, J., Kummerer, K. & Krossing, I., 22.11.2010, In: Chemistry - A European Journal. 16, 44, p. 13139-13154 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Neuartige Spurenstoffe im Wasser

    Kümmerer, K., 12.2010, In: Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung. 54, 6, p. 349-359 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review