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

    A Glance at the World

    Sasu, S., Metzger, J., Kranert, M. & Kümmerer, K., 11.2011, In: Waste Management. 31, 11, p. 2361-2364 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  2. Published

    Crown plasticity and neighborhood interactions of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in an old-growth forest

    Schröter, M., Härdtle, W. & Oheimb, G., 05.2012, In: European Journal of Forest Research. 131, 3, p. 787-798 12 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

    New evidence for vegetation development and timing of Upper Middle Pleistocene interglacials in Northern Germany and tentative correlations

    Urban, B., Sierralta, M. & Frechen, M., 15.08.2011, In: Quaternary International. 241, 1-2, p. 125-142 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Genesis and dating of Late Pleistocene-Holocene soil sediment sequences from the Lüneburg Heath, Northern Germany

    Urban, B., Kunz, A. & Gehrt, E., 03.06.2011, In: E&G Quaternary Science Journal. 60, 1, p. 6-26 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Online Peer-to-Peer Lending: A Literature Review

    Bachmann, A., Becker, A., Bürckner, D., Hilker, M., Kock, F., Lehmann, M., Tiburtius, P. & Funk, B., 08.2011, In: Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce. 16, 2, p. 1-18 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  7. Published

    Nachhaltigkeit kommunizieren: eine konzeptionelle Rahmung

    Godemann, J. & Michelsen, G., 2011, In: Medien-Journal. 35, 1, p. 1-68 68 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Kompetenzen und Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Michelsen, G., 2009, Globalisierung fordert politische Bildung: Politisches Lernen im globalen Kontext. Overwien, B. & Rathenow, H.-F. (eds.). Opladen ; Farmington Hills, MI: Verlag Babara Budrich, p. 75-86 12 p.

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

  9. Published

    Grüner Umbau: Neue Allianzen für die Umwelt

    Altner, G. (Editor), Leitschuh, H. (Editor), Michelsen, G. (Editor), Simonis, U. E. (Editor) & Weizsäcker, E. U. V. (Editor), 2011, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel Verlag. 246 p. (Jahrbuch Ökologie; vol. 2012)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  10. Published

    Sustainablity Communication - An Introduction

    Michelsen, G. & Godemann, J., 2011, Sustainability Communication: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Theoretical Foundation. Godemann, J. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Dordrecht u.a.: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland, p. 3-12 10 p.

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