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

    Growth and phycocyanin synthesis in the heterotrophic microalga Galdieria sulphuraria on substrates made of food waste from restaurants and bakeries

    Sloth, J., Jensen, H. C., Pleißner, D. & Eriksen, N. T., 01.08.2017, In: Bioresource Technology. 238, p. 296-305 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Growth and fatty acid composition of Acutodesmus obliquus under different light spectra and temperatures

    Helamieh, M., Gebhardt, A., Reich, M., Kuhn, F., Kerner, M. & Kümmerer, K., 09.2021, In: Lipids. 56, 5, p. 485-498 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Group-level physiological synchrony and individual-level anxiety predict positive affective behaviors during a group decision-making task

    Gordon, I., Wallot, S. & Berson, Y., 09.2021, In: Psychophysiology. 58, 9, 14 p., e13857.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Groundwater intrusion into leaky sewer systems

    Wittenberg, H. & Aksoy, H., 2010, In: Water Science and Technology. 62, 1, p. 92-98 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Groundwater abstraction for irrigation and its impacts on low flows in a watershed in Northwest Germany

    Wittenberg, H., 01.09.2015, In: Resources. 4, 3, p. 566-576 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Ground beetle diversity of a medieval wood-pasture reserve in north-west Germany (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

    Falke, B., Oevermann, S. & Aßmann, T., 2000, Natural history and applied ecology of carabid beetles: Proceedings of the IX European Carabidiologists Meeting, Cosenza, Italy, 26-31 July, 1998. Casale, A. (ed.). Sofia: Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 259-269 11 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  7. Published

    Großprojektmanagement

    Giese, N., 2017, Berlin: Springer Gabler. 80 p. (Leuphana Case Studies)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  8. Published

    Großflächige Halboffene Weidesysteme: ein alternatives Konzept zu einer nachhaltigen Nutzung von Agrarlandschaften

    Härdtle, W., 2002, Landwirtschaft im Spektrum der Umweltwissenschaften. Hogenmüller, D., Smeddinck, U. & Tils, R. (eds.). Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, p. 35-41 7 p. (Umweltrecht und Umweltpolitik; vol. 10).

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

  9. Published

    Grenzüberschreitung und Integration: Die formative Evaluation transdisziplinärer Forschung und ihre Kriterien

    Bergmann, M. & Schramm, E., 2008, Transdisziplinäre Forschung: integrative Forschungsprozesse verstehen und bewerten. Bergmann, M. & Schramm, E. (eds.). Frankfurt a. M./New York: Campus Verlag, p. 149-175 16 p.

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

  10. Published

    Grenzgänge: Geschlechter-und Nachhaltigkeitsforschung

    Hofmeister, S., 2003, Feministische Forschung - nachhaltige Einsprüche. Heinz, K. & Thiessen, B. (eds.). Opladen: Verlag Leske + Budrich, p. 371-387 17 p. (Studien Interdisziplinäre Geschlechterforschung; vol. 3).

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