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

    Values shift in response to social learning through deliberation about protected areas

    Andrade, R., van Riper, C. J., Goodson, D. J., Johnson, D. N., Stewart, W., López-Rodríguez, M. D., Cebrián-Piqueras, M. A., Horcea-Milcu, A. I., Lo, V. & Raymond, C. M., 01.01.2023, In: Global Environmental Change. 78, 12 p., 102630.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Discharge and fate of biocide residuals to ephemeral stormwater retention pond sediments

    Linke, F., Olsson, O., Schnarr, L., Kümmerer, K., Preusser, F., Bork, M., Leistert, H. & Lange, J., 01.11.2022, In: Hydrology Research. 53, 11, p. 1441-1453 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Triggering root system plasticity in a changing environment with bacterial bioinoculants – Focus on plant P nutrition

    Baudson, C., Delory, B. M., du Jardin, P. & Delaplace, P., 03.2023, In: Plant and Soil. 484, 1-2, p. 49-63 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Sustainability innovations: a proposal for an analytical framework and its empirical application in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve

    Dabard, C. H. & Mann, C., 05.2023, In: Sustainability Science. 18, 3, p. 1085-1098 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Nachhaltige Entwicklung als Strategie und Ziel von Hochschulentwicklung

    Michelsen, G. (Editor) & Godemann, J. (Editor), 2008, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag für Akademische Schriften. 186 p. (Innovation in den Hochschulen: Nachhaltige Entwickliung; vol. 10)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  6. Published

    Nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung: Eine Herausforderung für Umweltkommunikation und Soziale Arbeit

    Michelsen, G. (Editor) & Maier, K. (Editor), 2003, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag für Akademische Schriften. 348 p. (Innovation in den Hochschulen: Nachhaltige Entwickliung)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    Friede den Völkern: Nachhaltigkeit als interkultureller Prozess. Festschrift für Udo. E. Simonis.

    Altner, G. (Editor) & Michelsen, G. (Editor), 2003, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag für Akademische Schriften. 226 p. (Innovation in den Hochschulen: Nachhaltige Entwickliung; vol. Sonderband)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  8. Published

    COPERNICUS in Lüneburg: Higher Education in the Context of Sustainable Development and Globalization

    Michelsen, G. (Editor), van Dam-Mieras, R. (Editor) & Winkelmann, H. P. (Editor), 01.09.2002, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag für Akademische Schriften. 253 p. (Innovation in den Hochschulen: Nachhaltige Entwickliung; vol. 8)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  9. Published

    Ethik und Nachhaltigkeit. Grundsatzfragen und Handlungsperspektiven im universitären Agendaprozess. Gefälligkeitsübersetzung

    Altner, G. (Editor) & Michelsen, G. (Editor), 2001, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag für Akademische Schriften. 386 p. (Innovation in den Hochschulen: Nachhaltige Entwickliung; vol. 5)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  10. Published

    The feasibility of using Apple's ResearchKit for recruitment and data collection: Considerations for mental health research

    Bührmann, L., Van Daele, T., Rinn, A., De Witte, N. A. J., Lehr, D., Aardoom, J. J., Loheide-Niesmann, L., Smit, J. & Riper, H., 01.11.2022, In: Frontiers in Digital Health. 4, 12 p., 978749.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review