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
  2. Published

    Grundlagen organisationalen Wandels von Bildungseinrichtungen

    Godemann, J., 2004, Nachhaltigkeit in Bildungsinstitutionen in Schleswig-Holstein: Entwicklung eines Bildungskonzeptes für ausgewählte Zielgruppen. Stoltenberg, U., Adomßent, M. & Rieckmann, M. (eds.). Neumünster: Akademie für Natur und Umwelt des Landes Schleswig-Holstein, p. 80 1 p. (Akademie aktuell / Berichte, Texte, Materialien; no. 01/2004).

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

  3. Published

    Nachhaltig wachsen: Was macht grüne Unternehmen groß und stark?

    Petersen, H., 01.05.2005, In: Ökologisches Wirtschaften. 20, 2, p. 15-16 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  4. Published

    Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte der Markenführung

    Schaltegger, S., 2004, Handbuch Markenführung: Kompendium zum erfolgreichen Markenmanagement. Strategien — Instrumente — Erfahrungen. Bruhn, M. (ed.). Wiesbaden: Dr. Gabler Verlag, Vol. 3. p. 2677-2703 27 p.

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

  5. Published

    Handbuch Konstellationsanalyse: ein interdisziplinäres Brückenkonzept für die Nachhaltigkeits-, Technik- und Innovationsforschung

    Schön, S., Kruse, S., Meister, M., Nölting, B. & Ohlhorst, D., 2007, München: oekom verlag GmbH. 165 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  6. Published

    Gesundheitsfördernde Hochschulen

    Rieckmann, M., 01.06.2006, In: GAIA. 15, 2, p. 151-153 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  7. Published

    Business Models for Sustainability: Innovative Regional Business Models as Subject and Trigger of a Sustainable Change in the Energy Industry

    Lüdeke-Freund, F., 2009, Joint actions on climate change. 20 p.

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

  8. Published

    Hochschulen und Nachhaltigkeit: ein internationaler Dialog

    Franz-Balsen, A. & Adomssent, M., 01.09.2007, In: GAIA. 16, 3, p. 232-234 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  9. Published
  10. Published

    River Elbe ecology: contributions to a large scale environmental project

    Urban, B., 2003, Coastal urban environment. Ramesh, R. (ed.). New Delhi: Capital Publishing, p. 67-88 22 p.

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