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. 2018
  2. Published

    Finanzielle Bürgerbeteiligung: Rechtlicher Rahmen und Herausforderungen

    Maly, C., Meister, M. & Schomerus, C.-T., 2018, Handbuch Energiewende und Partizipation. Holstenkamp, L. & Radtke, J. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 371-386 16 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesTransfer

  3. Published

    From the plurality of transdisciplinarity to concrete transdisciplinary methods: The case of PoNa and its dialogue with practitioners on a picture discourse analysis

    Gottschlich, D. & Sulmowski, J. A., 2018, Transdisciplinary Research and Sustainability: Collaboration, Innovation and Transformation. Padmanaban, M. (ed.). 1 ed. London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 85-110 26 p. (Routledge Studies in Environment, Culture and Society).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  4. Published

    Geschlecht in Raumwissenschaften und -planung

    Hofmeister, S., 2018, Handwörterbuch der Stadt- und Raumentwicklung: G-L. Blotevogel, H. H. (ed.). 1 ed. Hannover: Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung (ARL), Vol. 2. p. 823-828 6 p.

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

  5. Published

    Grenzarbeit in integrativer und grenzüberschreitender Forschung

    Vilsmaier, U., 2018, Grenzen: Theoretische, konzeptionelle und praxisbezogene Fragestellungen zu Grenzen und deren Überschreitungen. Heintel, M., Musil, R. & Weixlbaumer, N. (eds.). 1 ed. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 113-134 22 p. (RaumFragen: Stadt — Region — Landschaft).

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

  6. Published

    Impact of participation on sustainable water management planning: Comparative analysis of eight cases

    Kochskämper, E., Jager, N. W., Newig, J. & Challies, E., 2018, Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation. Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., Jager, N. W. & Newig, J. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 117-148 32 p. (Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    (Inhibiting) Factors for (Un)Sustainable Behaviour in Relation to the Effects of Education for Sustainable Development: The Role of Psychological Constructs, Neurotransmitters and Ideological Impact on Consumer Behaviour

    Dewaele, K., Fischer, D., Van Damme, P. & Verhaeghe, P., 2018, Handbook of Sustainability Science and Research. Filho, W. L. (ed.). Cham: Springer Verlag, p. 915-924 10 p. (World Sustainability Series).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  8. Published

    Inklusive Basiskompetenzen in den Fachdidaktiken entwickeln

    Abels, S., Troll, B., Greve, S., Süßenbach, J. & Besser, M., 2018, Inklusion im Dialog : Fachdidaktik - Erziehungswissenschaft - Sonderpädagogik . Langner, A. (ed.). 1. ed. Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt, p. 232-239 8 p. (Perspektiven sonderpädagogischer Forschung).

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

  9. Published
  10. Published

    Intrinsic Motivation in Bilingual Courses on Bionics and Molecular Biology in an Out-of-School Lab

    Rodenhauser, A. & Preisfeld, A., 2018, Challenges in Biology Education Research. Gericke, N. & Grace, M. (eds.). Karlstad: European Researchers in Didactics of Biology, p. 120-134 15 p.

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

  11. Published

    Introspektion und Bildung für nachhaltigen Konsum: Ein Lehr-Lern-Format zur systematischen Selbsterforschung in der Auseinandersetzung mit Argumenten zum Konsum tierischer Produkte (Leuphana Universität Lüneburg)

    Frank, P. & Fischer, D., 2018, Nachhaltigkeit in der Lehre: eine Herausforderung für Hochschulen. Leal Filho, W. (ed.). Berlin: Springer Verlag, p. 469-486 18 p. (Theorie und Praxis der Nachhaltigkeit).

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