About the School

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.

Cooperations and networks

Beyond the School, we are part of various networks and have cooperations with other universities and organisations, such as the NaWis network (see below). An overview of all cooperations can be found here.

NaWis - Network for Sustainable Science

Climate and environmental challenges go beyond disciplinary boundaries. They require close cooperation between the natural, technical, social sciences and humanities. Only in this way, transitions to a sustainable society can be shaped. Many initiatives for an inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability science are developing internationally. In the German science system, this is still in its infancy. This is where the "NaWis" round, supported by the Universities of Kassel and Lüneburg, the Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt und Energie and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, comes in. The aim of the network is to promote transdisciplinary sustainability science in the German science system - both in universities and non-university research institutions. It is supported by four leading scientific institutions in the field of sustainable science. Further information here.