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

    Multi-trophic guilds respond differently to changing elevation in a subtropical forest

    Binkenstein, J., Klein, A. M., Assmann, T., Buscot, F., Erfmeier, A., Ma, K., Pietsch, K. A., Schmidt, K., Scholten, T., Wubet, T., Bruelheide, H., Schuldt, A. & Staab, M., 06.2018, In: Ecography. 41, 6, p. 1013-1023 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Multivariate Optimization of Analytical Methodology and a First Attempt to an Environmental Risk Assessment of β-Blockers in Hospital Wastewater

    Wilde, M. L., Kümmerer, K. & Martins, A. F., 25.09.2012, In: Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society. 23, 9, p. 1732-1740 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Municipal wastewater treatment and biomass accumulation with a wastewater-born and settleable algal-bacterial culture

    Su, Y., Mennerich, A. & Urban, B., 05.2011, In: Water Research. 45, 11, p. 3351-3358 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Mut zu Visionen: Brücken in die Zukunft

    Leitschuh, H. (Editor), Michelsen, G. (Editor), Simonis, U. E. (Editor), Sommer, J. (Editor) & Weizsäcker, E. U. V. (Editor), 2013, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel Verlag. 256 p. (Jahrbuch Ökologie; vol. 2014)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesTransfer

  5. Published

    Mycorrhizal type and tree diversity affect foliar elemental pools and stoichiometry

    Bönisch, E., Blagodatskaya, E., Dirzo, R., Ferlian, O., Fichtner, A., Huang, Y., Leonard, S. J., Maestre, F. T., von Oheimb, G., Ray, T. & Eisenhauer, N., 05.2024, In: New Phytologist. 242, 4, p. 1614-1629 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Mythen der Circular Economy

    Böckel, A. (Editor), Quaing, J. (Editor), Weissbrod, I. (Editor) & Böhm, J. (Editor), 01.07.2022, Dresden: Dresden University of Technology. 125 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    Mythos Artenarmut: Biodiversität von Buchenwäldern

    Aßmann, T., Drees, C., Schröder, E. & Ssymank, A., 2007, In: Natur und Landschaft. 82, 9/10, p. 401-406 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  8. Published

    Mythos: Unternehmen sind angesichts der steigenden Anforderungen aus Gesellschaft und Politik überfordert und müssen sich entscheiden: Circular Economy oder menschenrechtliche Sorgfaltspflichten?

    Moser, C. & Buhr, M., 12.07.2022, Mythen der Circular Economy. Böckel, A., Quaing, J., Weissbrod, I. & Böhm, J. (eds.). Dresden: Dresden University of Technology, p. 109 - 114 16 p.

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

  9. Published

    My Touchstone Puzzles. W.D. Hamilton work on Social Wasps in the 1960s

    Caniglia, G., 2017, Integrated history and philosophy of science: problems, perspectives, and case studies. Stadler, F. (ed.). Cham: Springer Verlag, p. 31 - 42 12 p. (Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook; vol. 20).

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

  10. Published

    Nachbarschafts-Artenvielfalt kann trockenheitsbedingte Zuwachseinbußen bei Bäumen mindern

    Härdtle, W. & Fichtner, A., 23.08.2024, Berichte der Reinhold-Tüxen-Gesellschaft. Stojakowits, P. (ed.). München: AVM Akademische Verlagsgemeinschaft, Vol. 32. p. 119-131 13 p. (Berichte der Reinhold-Tüxen-Gesellschaft; vol. 32).

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