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

    Palaeoecological Interpretation of a Late Holocene Sediment Sequence from the Alpine Belt of the Southern Mongolian Altai Mountains

    Goenster-Jordan, S., Urban, B. & Buerkert, A., 17.02.2022, In: Open Quaternary. 8, 1, 18 p., 2.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published
  3. Published

    Palaeogeography and palaeoecology of Carabus auronitens (Coleoptera): characterization and localization of glacial refugia in southern France and reconstruction of postglacial expansion routes by means of allozyme polymorphismus ; with 25 tables

    Reimann, T., Aßmann, T., Nolte, O., Reuter, H., Huber, C. & Weber, F., 2002, Keltern-Weiler: Goecke & Evers. 151 p. (Abhandlungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Hamburg; vol. 35)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  4. Published

    Paleoenvironment and possibilities of plant exploitation in the Middle Pleistocene of Schöningen (Germany). Insights from botanical macro-remains and pollen

    Bigga, G., Schoch, W. H. & Urban, B., 12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 92-104 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published
  6. Published

    Palynological record of the Quaternary deposits of Garding-2 research drill core, North-west Germany.

    Proborukmi, M. S. & Urban, B., 2014, The Quaternary of the Urals: global trends and Pan-European Quaternary records. Borodin, A. V., Markova, E. A. & Strukova, T. V. (eds.). Ural Federal University, p. 120-122 3 p.

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

  7. Published

    Parallelgesellschaften? Politische Eliten und Bürger.

    Heinrichs, H., 2011, Demokratie und Umweltkrise: Brauchen wir mehr Mitbestimmung?. München: Oekom Verlag, Vol. 14. p. 180-184 5 p. (Wissenschaft & Umwelt Interdisziplinär; no. 14/2011).

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

  8. Published

    Participación ciudadana y sostenibilidad: Algunas reflexiones necesarias desde el análisis de casos y contextos diferenciados

    Rieckmann, M., 2008, Sostenibilidad en los espacios rurales: Proyectos europeos, herramientas participativas, experiencias municipales y territoriales en España. Martínez Puche, A., Salas Arqueros, J. P., Sánchez Navas, J. & Cortés Samper, C. (eds.). Alicante: Universidad Alicante, p. 213-225 13 p.

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

  9. Published

    Participation and Effective Environmental Governance: Causal mechanisms and beyond

    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. 149-159 11 p. (Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management).

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

  10. Published

    Participation: Empowerment for Sustainable Development

    Heinrichs, H., 2011, Sustainability Communication: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Theoretical Foundations. Godemann, J. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Verlag, p. 187-198 12 p.

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