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. 2014
  2. Published

    Dissipation and recycling: What losses, what dissipation impacts, and what recycling options?

    Yarime, M., Carliell-Marquet, C., Hellums, D. T., Kalmykova, Y., Lang, D. J., Bao Le, Q., Malley, D., Morf, L. S., Matsubae, K., Matsuo, M., Ohtake, H., Omlin, A. P., Petzet, S., Scholz, R. W., Shiroyama, H., Ulrich, A. E. & Watts, P., 01.01.2014, Sustainable Phosphorus Management: A Global Transdisciplinary Roadmap. Scholz, R. W., Roy, A. H., Brand, F. S., Hellums, D. T. & Ulrich, A. E. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, p. 247-274 28 p.

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

  3. Published

    Diversity, threats and conservation of European wood-pastures

    Bergmeier, E. & Röllig, M., 01.01.2014, European Wood-pastures in Transition: A social-ecological approach. Hartel, T. & Plieninger, T. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 19-38 20 p. 2

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  4. Published

    Educating Change Agents for Sustainability: Learnings from the First Sustainability Management Master of Business Administration

    Hesselbarth, C. & Schaltegger, S., 01.01.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 62, 1, p. 24-36 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Emerging Areas in Research on Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Management education, sustainable consumption and perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe

    Adomßent, M., Fischer, D., Godemann, J., Otte, I., Rieckmann, M., Timm, J.-M. & Herzig, C., 01.01.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 62, 1, p. 1-7 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Forest Islands in an Agricultural Sea

    Klein, A.-M., Boreux, V. E., Bauhus, J., Chappell, M. J., Fischer, J. & Philpott, S. M., 01.01.2014, Global Forest Fragmentation. Kettle, C. J. & Koh, L. P. (eds.). Wallingford: CAB International, p. 79-95 17 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  7. Published

    Hydrograph analysis and basef low separation

    Aksoy, H., Wittenberg, H. & Eris, E., 01.01.2014, Handbook of Engineering Hydrology: Fundamentals and Applications. Eslamian, S. (ed.). CRC Press, p. 311-328 18 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  8. Published

    Influences of entrainers to engine oil to improve the drag-out of biodiesel: Experiments and simulations

    Mäder, A., Zimon, A., Fleischmann, A., Munack, A., Ruck, W. & Krahl, J., 01.01.2014, In: Fuel. 117, PART A, p. 488-498 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Learning to change universities from within: A service-learning perspective on promoting sustainable consumption in higher education

    Barth, M., Adomßent, M., Fischer, D., Richter, S. & Rieckmann, M., 01.01.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 62, 1, p. 72-81 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Mathematical Chemistry and Chemoinformatics: Structure Generation, Elucidation and Quantitative Structure-Property Relationships

    Kerber, A., Laue, R., Meringer, M., Rücker, C. & Schymanski, E., 01.01.2014, 1 ed. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH. 521 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  11. Published

    Metabolites and Transformation Products of Pharmaceuticals in the Aquatic Environment as Contaminants of Emerging Concern

    Michael, I., Vasquez Hadjilyra, M. I., Hapeshi, E., Haddad, T., Baginska, E., Kümmerer, K. & Fatta-Kassinos, D., 01.01.2014, Transformation Products of Emerging Contaminants in the Environment: Analysis, Processes, Occurrence, Effects and Risks. Lambropoulou, D. A. & Nollet, L. M. (eds.). Chichester: Wiley-VCH Verlag, p. 413-458 46 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  12. Published

    Migration and stress during reproduction govern telomere dynamics in a seabird

    Schultner, J., Moe, B., Chastel, O., Bech, C. & Kitaysky, A. S., 01.01.2014, In: Biology Letters. 10, 1, 4 p., 20130889.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  13. Published

    Modelling of heat exchangers based on thermochemical material for solar heat storage systems

    Fopah Lele, A., Rönnebeck, T., Rohde, C., Schmidt, T., Kuznik, F. & Ruck, W., 01.01.2014, In: Energy Procedia. 61, p. 2809-2813 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference article in journalResearchpeer-review

  14. Published

    Observing the Middle Elbe Biosphere in Germany by Means of TerraSAR-X Images

    Farghaly, D., Elba, E. & Urban, B., 01.01.2014, In: International Journal of Geosciences. 5, 2, p. 196-205 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  15. Published

    Plant and vegetation diversity in European wood-pastures

    Garbarino, M., Bergmeier, E., Roellig, M. & Sammul, M., 01.01.2014, European Wood-pastures in Transition: A Social-ecological Approach. Hartel, T. & Plieninger, T. (eds.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 113-131 19 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  16. Published

    Reconstruction of Past and Prediction of Future Benzo[a]pyrene Concentrations Over Europe

    Bieser, J., Aulinger, A., Matthias, V. & Quante, M., 01.01.2014, Air Pollution Modeling and its Application XXII: Environmental Security. Steyn, D., Builtjes, P. & Timmermans, R. (eds.). Springer, p. 59-63 5 p. (NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security; vol. 137).

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

  17. Published

    Remediation of PAHs, NSO-Heterocycles, and Related Aromatic Compounds in Permeable Reactive Barriers Using Activated Carbon

    Palm, W.-U., Mänz, J. S. & Ruck, W., 01.01.2014, Permeable Reactive Barrier: sustainable groundwater remediation. Naidu, R. & Birke, V. (eds.). Boca Raton: CRC Press, p. 215-248 34 p. (Advances in Trace Elements in the Environment).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  18. Published

    The importance of ecosystem services for rural inhabitants in a changing cultural landscape in Romania

    Hartel, T., Fischer, J., Câmpeanu, C., Milcu, A. I., Hanspach, J. & Fazey, I., 01.01.2014, In: Ecology and Society. 19, 2, 9 p., 42.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  19. Published

    The Population Trajectories Both of the Wild Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) in Spain: Implications for Conservation

    Lozano Mendoza, J., Cabezas-Díaz, S. & Virgós, E., 01.01.2014, Trends in Environmental Science. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., p. 105-132 28 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  20. Published

    The Role of Campus, Curriculum, and Community in Higher Education for Sustainable Development: a Conference Report

    Müller-Christ, G., Sterling, S., van Dam-Mieras, R., Adomßent, M., Fischer, D. & Rieckmann, M., 01.01.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 62, p. 134-137 4 p.

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

  21. Published

    Use: What is needed to Support Sustainability?

    Mikkelsen, R. L., Binder, C. R., Frossard, E., Brand, F. S., Scholz, R. W. & Vilsmaier, U., 01.01.2014, Sustainable Phosphorus Management: A Global Transdisciplinary Roadmap. Scholz, R. W., Roy, A. H., Brand, F. S., Hellums, D. T. & Ulrich, A. E. (eds.). 1 ed. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, p. 207-246 40 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review