Science Spaces (Wissenschaftsräume)
Shaping the future together: Leuphana leads three science spaces (Wissenschaftsräume) to develop solutions to current challenges. In the areas of education, sustainability and economics, Leuphana researchers have joined forces with colleagues from partner universities in Lower Saxony and non-university research institutions. The science spaces are funded by the state of Lower Saxony and the VolkswagenStiftung.
FUTURE TRENDS IN EDUCATION
TRANSFORMING SCHOOLS THROUGH DEMOCRACY EDUCATION AND EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (Future.Ed)
THE RESEARCH
Future.Ed aims to improve school education and to prepare students for the future in the areas of democracy, sustainability and digitalisation. To this end, researchers are conducting empirical and evidence-based research into how democratic principles and sustainable action are learned and how these skills (civic and sustainability literacy) can be incorporated into society.
THE PARTNERS
At Leuphana, Prof. Dr. Marcus Pietsch (Institute of Educational Science) and Prof. Dr. Simone Abels (Institute of Sustainable Chemistry) lead the science space that builds on the educational science expertise of the participating universities:
The Leuphana University Lüneburg is particularly strong in the areas of empirical educational research and sustainability research. The University of Oldenburg brings in distinguished expertise in participation and development research and the Osnabrück University in empirical school development and professional research.
COOPERATION WITH SCHOOLS
Future.Ed invites all secondary schools in the regional school supervisory districts of Lüneburg and Osnabrück to participate in the science space. The participating schools will receive scientific support and, in addition to the processed research results, individual advice and support on request. The cooperation will run for four years and interested schools can now apply at futureed@leuphana.de.
THE RESEARCH
The global demand for raw materials and agricultural products is often met by environmentally harmful and socially exploitative practices in supply chains – from production to suppliers to distribution. The science space is conducting interdisciplinary research into the extent to which a sustainability transformation of global supply chains can be achieved through politics and legislation.
To this end, the effects of supply chain laws, most of which came into force between 2017 and 2024, are being examined for the first time. The aim is to provide a basis for politics and economics, for example in the form of recommendations for political and economic action or the development of further training programmes for companies and authorities.
THE PARTNERS
The science space establishes an interdisciplinary network in Lower Saxony that combines expertise from political science, law, economics and geography.
Prof. Dr. Jens Newig (Institute of Sustainability Governance) leads the science space at Leuphana University Lüneburg. Prof. Dr. Jelena Bäumler and Prof. Dr. Stefan Schaltegger from the School of Sustainability are also on board, along with Prof. Dr. Elke Schüssler and Prof. Dr. Patrick Velte from the School of Management & Technology and Prof. Dr. Alexander Schall from the School of Public Affairs.
The researchers partners from the universities of Oldenburg and Osnabrück and the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Hamburg, contribute the areas of comparative political science, sustainable supply chain management, geography and development cooperation, and thus in particular the perspective of the Global South.
THE RESEARCH
Climate change, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, demographic change, migration and war initiate a wide range of transformation processes. It also influences human behaviour, for example in consumption or voting. Since this furthermore depends on other factors, such as financial situation, place of residence or gender, the science space is conducting empirical and interdisciplinary research into various social groups in Lower Saxony.
The researchers use the insights gained to contribute to a better understanding of current transformations and to help shape change processes for the benefit of the general public. To this end, the science space develops formats for knowledge transfer and formulates recommendations for action for politics, economics and public institutions.
THE PARTNERS
The science space connects research locations in Lower Saxony for the first time to pool their behavioural economic expertise. Prof. Dr. Mario Mechtel leads the network at the Leuphana University Lüneburg. Prof. Dr. Luise Görges from the Institute of Economics and Prof. Dr. Johannes Lohse from the Centre of Methods are also participating.
Together with colleagues from the universities of Hannover, Göttingen, Vechta, Clausthal, Osnabrück and Oldenburg, as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT), they establish a permanent, cross-location cooperation. This will strengthen the scientific performance of behavioural economics in Lower Saxony and significantly expand its research infrastructure.