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

    Partizipationsforschung und nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Heinrichs, H., 01.01.2005, In: GAIA. 14, 1, p. 30-31 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  2. Published

    Tsunami: Entstehung, Ausbreitung und Auswirkungen

    Amelung, U., 2005, 33 p. ( Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsberichte des ZWW zur Sonntagsvorlesung)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCompendium/lecture notesEducation

  3. Published
  4. Published

    Anger regulation among friends: Assessment and development from childhood to adolescence

    Salisch, M. & Vogelgesang, J., 01.12.2005, In: Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 22, 6, p. 837-855 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published
  6. Published

    Late Pleistocene vegetation of the basin of Phlious, NE-Peloponnese, Greece

    Urban, B. & Fuchs, M., 01.11.2005, In: Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 137, 1-2, p. 15-29 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Atmospheric concentrations and air-sea exchanges of phthalates in the North Sea (German Bight)

    Xie, Z., Ebinghaus, R., Temme, C., Caba, A. & Ruck, W., 06.2005, In: Atmospheric Environment. 39, 18, p. 3209-3219 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    New descriptions and typifications of syntaxa within the project 'Plant communities of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and their vulnerability' - Part II

    Dengler, J., Koska, I., Timmermann, T., Berg, C., Clausnitzer, U., Isermann, M., Linke, C., Päzolt, J., Polte, T. & Spangenberg, A., 22.07.2004, In: Feddes Repertorium. 115, 3-4, p. 353-392 40 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Stochastic environmental policy, risk-taking, and growth: Discretion versus commitment

    Soretz, S., 01.01.2004, In: International Journal of Global Environmental Issues. 4, 1-3, p. 58-72 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Effects of global climate change on geographic distributions of vertebrates in North Queensland

    Meynecke, J. O., 01.06.2004, In: Ecological Modelling. 174, 4, p. 347-357 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review