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

    Identification of a heparin-binding motif on adeno-associated virus type 2 capsids

    Kern, A., Schmidt, K., Leder, C., Müller, O., Wobus, C. E., Bettinger, K., von der Lieth, C. W., King, J. A. & Kleinschmidt, J. A., 15.10.2003, In: Journal of Virology. 77, 20, p. 11072–11081 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Comparison of PSA-specific CD8+ CTL responses and antitumor immunity generated by plasmid DNA vaccines encoding PSA-HSP chimeric proteins

    Pavlenko, M., Roos, A.-K., Leder, C., Hansson, L. O., Kiessling, R., Levitskaya, E. & Pisa, P., 12.2004, In: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy . 53, 12, p. 1085-1092 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Plasmid DNA vaccines against cancer. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte induction against tumor antigens

    Pavlenko, M., Leder, C. & Pisa, P., 01.06.2005, In: Expert Review of Vaccines. 4, 3, p. 315-327 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  4. Published

    Modeling and predicting aquatic aerobic biodegradation: a review from a user’s perspective.

    Rücker, C. & Kümmerer, K., 04.2012, In: Green Chemistry . 14, 4, p. 875-887 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Triphenylzinn in Gewässern Niedersachsens – Betrachtung der Kompartimente Wasser, Schwebstoff, Sediment und aquatische Organismen – sowie ein Vergleich zu Butylzinnverbindungen

    Steffen, D., 2002, Hildesheim: Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Ökologie . 170 p. (Oberirdische Gewässer; vol. 15)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  6. Published

    Umweltkonflikte und Nachhaltigkeit in Lateinamerika: Verhandlungen zwischen Unternehmen, NGOs und Regierungsstellen

    Saner, R. (Editor) & Grimm, J. (Editor), 2011, Saarbrücken: Südwestdeutscher Verlag für Hochschulschriften. 304 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    Water quantity and quality in the Zerafshan river basin - only an upstream riparian problem?

    Olsson, O., Wegerich, K. & Kabilov, F., 01.09.2012, In: International Journal of Water Resources Development. 28, 3, p. 493-505 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  8. Published

    Das Handwörterbuch der Ökobilanzierung: Begriffe und Definitionen

    Schaltegger, S. & Kubat, R., 1995, 2., aktual. ed. Basel: Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Zentrum (WWZ) der Universität Basel. 120 p. (WWZ-Studien; no. 45)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  9. Published

    Öko-Effizienz durch Öko-Controlling: Zur praktischen Umsetzung von EMAS und ISO 14001

    Schaltegger, S. & Sturm, A., 1995, Zürich: vdf Hochschulverlag an der ETH Zürich. 164 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  10. Published

    Strategisch fundiertes Nachhaltigkeitscontrolling – Konzeption und Umsetzung in der Praxis

    Schaltegger, S. & Zvezdov, D., 2012, Nachhaltigkeitscontrolling - Konzepte, Instrumente und Fallbeispiele für die Umsetzung. Gleich, R., Bartels, P. & Breisig, V. (eds.). Freiburg: Haufe Mediengruppe, p. 45-66 22 p. (Der Controlling-Berater; no. 21).

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