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. 2013
  2. Published

    Gemeinsam entscheiden in Unternehmen. Einbindung von Stakeholdern in strategische Entscheidungen

    Hansen, E. G. & Spitzeck, H., 02.09.2013, In: Ökologisches Wirtschaften. 28, 3, p. 12-13 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  3. Published

    Climatic responses of tree-ring width and δ13C signatures of sessile oak (Quercus petraea Liebl.) on soils with contrasting water supply

    Härdtle, W., Niemeyer, T., Aßmann, T., Aulinger, A., Fichtner, A., Lang, A. C., Leuschner, C., Neuwirth, B., Pfister, L., Quante, M., Ries, C., Schuldt, A. & Oheimb, G., 01.09.2013, In: Plant Ecology. 214, 9, p. 1147-1156 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Cultural ecosystem services: A literature review and prospects for future research

    Milcu, A. I., Hanspach, J., Abson, D. & Fischer, J., 01.09.2013, In: Ecology and Society. 18, 3, 34 p., 44.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Soil texture and altitude, respectively, largely determine the floristic gradient of the most diverse fog oasis in the Peruvian desert

    Muenchow, J., Hauenstein, S., Bräuning, A., Bäumler, R., Rodríguez, E. F. & von Wehrden, H., 01.09.2013, In: Journal of Tropical Ecology. 29, 5, p. 427-438 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Economic/ecological tradeoffs among ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation

    Hussain, A. M. T. & Tschirhart, J., 09.2013, In: Ecological Economics. 93, p. 116-127 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Economic gain, stability of pollination and bee diversity decrease from southern to northern Europe

    Leonhardt, S., Gallai, N., Garibaldi, L. A., Kuhlmann, M. & Klein, A.-M., 09.2013, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 14, 6, p. 461-471 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Fatty Acid Profile of the Initial Oral Biofilm (Pellicle): an In-Situ Study

    Reich, M., Kümmerer, K., Al-Ahmad, A. & Hannig, C., 09.2013, In: Lipids. 48, 9, p. 929-937 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    How to specify the structure of substituted blade-like zigzag diamondoids

    Balaban, A. T. & Rücker, C., 09.2013, In: Central European Journal of Chemistry. 11, 9, p. 1423-1430 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Non-technical success factors for bioenergy projects-Learning from a multiple case study in Japan

    Blumer, Y. B., Stauffacher, M., Lang, D. J., Hayashi, K. & Uchida, S., 09.2013, In: Energy Policy. 60, 9, p. 386 - 395 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Predictive mapping of species richness and plant species' distributions of a peruvian fog oasis along an altitudinal gradient

    Muenchow, J., Bräuning, A., Rodríguez, E. F. & von Wehrden, H., 09.2013, In: Biotropica. 45, 5, p. 557-566 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review