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
  2. Published

    Effects of grassland management, endophytic fungi and predators on aphid abundance in two distinct regions

    Börschig, C., Klein, A.-M. & Krauss, J., 10.2014, In: Journal of Plant Ecology. 7, 5, p. 490-498 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Economic gain, stability of pollination and bee diversity decrease from southern to northern Europe

    Leonhardt, S., Gallai, N., Garibaldi, L. A., Kuhlmann, M. & Klein, A.-M., 09.2013, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 14, 6, p. 461-471 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published
  5. Published

    Carry on the Distribution of Power: Federalism in Germany

    Laws, N., 2013, O Federalista Atual: Teoria do Federalismo. Ramos, D. T. (ed.). Belo Horizonte: Arraes Editores, p. 501-521 21 p.

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

  6. Published

    Integrating Life Stages into Ecological Niche Models: A Case Study on Tiger Beetles

    Taboada Palomares, A., von Wehrden, H. & Assmann, T., 23.07.2013, In: PLoS ONE. 8, 7, 13 p., e70038.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    The ponds of Hattuša -: Early groundwater management in the Hittite kingdom

    Wittenberg, H. & Schachner, A., 01.01.2013, In: Water Supply. 13, 3, p. 692-698 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    In situ air-water and particle-water partitioning of perfluorocarboxylic acids, perfluorosulfonic acids and perfluorooctyl sulfonamide at a wastewater treatment plant

    Vierke, L., Ahrens, L., Shoeib, M., Palm, W.-U., Webster, E. M., Ellis, D. A., Ebinghaus, R. & Harner, T., 08.2013, In: Chemosphere. 92, 8, p. 941-948 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Energy: How German Municipal Utilities Invest in Offshore Wind Energy

    Richter, M., 2013, In: International Journal of Technology Management. 63, 1/2, p. 24-50 27 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    An Equation with many Variables: Unhiding the Relationship between Sustainability and Investment Performance

    Peylo, B. T. & Schaltegger, S., 03.04.2014, In: Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment. 4, 2, p. 110-126 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review