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

    Produktive Funktionen von Kollaps und Zerstörung für gesellschaftliche Transformationsprozesse in Richtung Nachhaltigkeit

    Newig, J. & Balsam, R., 29.04.2013, Soziale Innovation und Nachhaltigkeit: Perspektiven sozialen Wandels. Rückert-John, J. (ed.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 133-149 17 p. (Innovation und Gesellschaft).

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

  3. Published

    Chronic ecotoxic effects to Pseudomonas putida and Vibrio fischeri, and cytostatic and genotoxic effects to the hepatoma cell line (HepG2) of ofloxacin photo(cata)lytically treated solutions

    Vasquez, M., Garcia-Käufer, M., Hapeshi, E., Menz, J., Kostarelos, K., Fatta-Kassinos, D. & Kümmerer, K., 15.04.2013, In: The Science of The Total Environment. 450-451, p. 356-365 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    The Upcycle: Beyond sustainability Designing for abundance

    Braungart, M. & McDonough, W., 13.04.2013, New York : North Point Press. 227 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  5. Published

    Medien und klimabewusstes Verhalten: Die Bedeutung des Fernsehens für ein nachhaltiges Alltagshandeln bei Jugendlichen

    Lüdecke, G., 04.04.2013, München: oekom verlag GmbH. 287 p. (Hochschulschriften zur Nachhaltigkeit; vol. 58)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Multiple Glacial Refugia of the Low-Dispersal Ground Beetle Carabus irregularis: Molecular Data Support Predictions of Species Distribution Models

    Homburg, K., Drees, C., Gossner, M. M., Rakosy, L., Vrezec, A. & Aßmann, T., 04.04.2013, In: PLoS ONE. 8, 4, 12 p., e61185.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published
  8. Published

    The influence of agricultural system, stand structural complexity and landscape context on foraging birds in oil palm landscapes

    Azhar, B., Lindenmayer, D. B., Wood, J., Manning, A., McElhinny, C., Zakaria, M. & Fischer, J., 01.04.2013, In: Ibis. 155, 2, p. 297-312 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    A Global Classroom for International Sustainability Education

    Wiek, A., Bernstein, M. J., Laubichler, M., Minteer, B., Lang, D. J. & Caniglia, G., 04.2013, In: Creative Education. 4, 4A, p. 19 - 28 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Allele elimination recalculated: nested subset analyses for molecular biogeographical data

    Habel, J. C., Ulrich, W. & Aßmann, T., 04.2013, In: Journal of Biogeography. 40, 4, p. 769-777 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Business Models for Sustainable Innovation: State-of-the-Art and Steps Towards a Research Agenda

    Boons, F. A. A. & Lüdeke-Freund, F., 04.2013, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 45, p. 9-19 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review