The Center of Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research

Sustainable development is of crucial importance for the future of society and is therefore at the center of public and academic debate. The transformation required for this pervades and affects all levels, systems and subsystems of society. The ecological and social sustainability of the global economic system or the design of sustainable development goals at United Nations level as well as the involvement of different stakeholders are just some of the current topics that science cannot ignore. Therefore, the ZIN-members feel called upon to make analytical, evaluative, integrative and – where appropriate – practical contributions to public discourse through empirical, normative and transformative research.

The members of the ZIN are professors and scientists with a doctorate from thirteen departments at the University of Münster (biology, chemistry and pharmacy, educational and social sciences, Protestant theology, geosciences, history/philosophy, Catholic theology, mathematics and computer science, philology, physics, psychology/sports and exercise science, law, business and economics), who address the topic of sustainability from their respective disciplinary perspectives.

Specific areas of activity are

1. joint research and publications,

2. the organization of lectures and interdisciplinary seminars, events and talks,

3. the promotion and further training of young academics, particularly with regard to the interdisciplinary interfaces of sustainability research, and

4. consulting activities for political, civil society and economic actors at the local, national and European level.

5. As part of the project ULYSSEUS, the ZIN is responsible for the Innovation Hub "Socio-ecological Sustainability".

In addition, the ZIN serves as a point of contact for the media on sustainability issues.