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

    Formative Dimensions for Green and Sustainable Chemical Education: A Qualitative Evaluation Tool of the Formative Level of Experimental Processes

    Andrade, R. S. & Zuin, V. G., 13.06.2023, In: Journal of Chemical Education. 100, 6, p. 2281-2291 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    A transdisciplinary framework for university-industry collaboration in establishing a social business model

    Cheah, J. S. S., Amran, A., Kirubakaran, M., Lang, D. J., Su, P. F. & Chu, J. W., 20.06.2023, In: Social Enterprise Journal. 19, 4, p. 390-403 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Heterotrophic growth of Galdieria sulphuraria on residues from aquaculture and fish processing industries

    Pleissner, D., Schönfelder, S., Händel, N., Dalichow, J., Ettinger, J., Kvangarsnes, K., Dauksas, E., Rustad, T. & Cropotova, J., 01.09.2023, In: Bioresource Technology. 384, 8 p., 129281.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Spatial interpretation of high-resolution environmental proxy data of the Middle Pleistocene Palaeolithic faunal kill site Schöningen 13 II-4, Germany

    Urban, B., Krahn, K. J., Kasper, T., García-Moreno, A., Hutson, J. M., Villaluenga, A., Turner, E., Gaudzinski-Windheuser, S., Farghaly, D., Tucci, M. & Schwalb, A., 01.07.2023, In: Boreas. 52, 3, p. 440-458 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Advancing protected area effectiveness assessments by disentangling social-ecological interactions: A case study from the Luangwa Valley, Zambia

    Frietsch, M., Zafra-Calvo, N., Ghoddousi, A. & Loos, J., 08.2023, In: Conservation Science and Practice. 5, 8, 16 p., e12974.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Critical political economy of taxation

    Lierse, H., 21.04.2023, Handbook on Critical Political Economy and Public Policy. Scherrer, C., Garcia, A. & Wullweber, J. (eds.). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 327-340 14 p. (Handbooks of research on public policy).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  7. Published

    A framework for drivers fostering social-ecological restoration within forest landscape based on people’s participation. A systematic literature review

    Maniraho, L., Frietsch, M., Sieber, S. & Löhr, K., 01.12.2023, In: Discover Sustainability. 4, 13 p., 26.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  8. Published

    MSPs for the SDGs: Assessing the collaborative governance architecture of multi-stakeholder partnerships for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals

    Glass, L.-M., Newig, J. & Ruf, S., 01.08.2023, In: Earth System Governance. 17, 17 p., 100182.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Compositional variation in grassland plant communities

    Bakker, J. D., Price, J. N., Henning, J. A., Batzer, E., Ohlert, T., Wainwright, C. E., Adler, P. B., Alberti, J., Arnillas, C. A., Biederman, L. A., Borer, E. T., Brudvig, L., Buckley, Y. M., Bugalho, M. N., Cadotte, M. W., Da Conceição Caldeira, M., Catford, J. A., Chen, Q., Crawley, M. J., Daleo, P., Dickman, C. R., Donohue, I., DuPre, M. E., Ebeling, A., Eisenhauer, N., Fay, P. A., Gruner, D. S., Haider, S., Hautier, Y., Jentsch, A., Kirkman, K., Knops, J. M. H., Lannes, L. S., MacDougall, A. S., McCulley, R. L., Mitchell, R. M., Moore, J. L., Morgan, J. W., Mortensen, B., Venterink, H. O., Peri, P. L., Power, S. A., Prober, S. M., Roscher, C., Sankaran, M., Seabloom, E. W., Smith, M. D., Stevens, C., Sullivan, L. L., Tedder, M. J., Veen, G. F. C., Virtanen, R. & Wardle, G. M., 01.06.2023, In: Ecosphere - An esa open access journal. 14, 6, 17 p., e4542.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Co-production of nature's contributions to people: What evidence is out there?

    Kachler, J., Isaac, R., Martín-López, B., Bonn, A. & Felipe-Lucia, M. R., 01.08.2023, In: People and Nature. 5, 4, p. 1119-1134 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch