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© University of Vechta / Bitters/Wollstein

Prof. Dr. Marco Rieckmann

Professor of Higher Education Development

Main areas of work
Contact
Office hours
  • Higher Education Development
  • Education for Sustainable Development
  • Global Education
  • Sustainable Development of Higher Education Institutions
Bild von Prof. Dr. Marco Rieckmann

Included in the Stanford/Elsevier list of highly cited researchers [2026/10]

Marco Rieckmann has been included in the Stanford/Elsevier list of the world’s most-cited researchers. In the analysis based on citations received in 2025, he ranks among the top two per cent worldwide, at position 136,180 in the overall ranking. While citation metrics capture only one dimension of academic impact, this recognition reflects the international reach of his research on education for sustainable development and sustainability in higher education.

New Project “AgRe-Lab – Climate-Resilient Agricultural Landscapes” [2026/10]

The new collaborative research project “Building climate resilience in agricultural landscapes through social-ecological diversification, co-design and transdisciplinary learning (AgRe-Lab)” is funded with approximately €5.3 million through the Climate Future Labs programme of zukunft.niedersachsen. The six-year project is coordinated by the University of Göttingen. Further partners include the University of Vechta, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Technische Universität Braunschweig, the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, and ten practice partners from agriculture, nature conservation, public administration, and education. AgRe-Lab investigates how agricultural landscapes can remain productive under climate change while safeguarding biodiversity and important ecosystem services. Three Living Labs will be established in the districts of Gifhorn, Hildesheim, and Northeim. The project examines, among other aspects, how ecological diversification, habitat connectivity, and adapted land and water management can contribute to the climate resilience of agricultural landscapes. At the same time, it addresses social and economic conditions, the acceptance of climate and biodiversity measures, and opportunities for collective action. Researchers and practitioners will jointly develop and test suitable measures. The subproject at the University of Vechta, led by Prof. Dr. Marco Rieckmann, focuses on education for climate-resilient agricultural landscapes, competence development, and Living Labs as learning spaces. It investigates which sustainability and transformation competencies farmers need to actively contribute to the development of climate-resilient agricultural landscapes and how these competencies can be fostered through suitable educational and learning processes. Educational formats will be developed and tested in the Living Labs, and their effects on competence development will be evaluated. An additional Twinning Lab in the Vechta district will be used to examine the transferability of findings from the Living Labs and to adapt them, together with regional partners, to the specific conditions of the Vechta region. Project results will also be integrated into teaching at the University of Vechta.

New E-lectures on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Higher Educationew [2025/11]

Prof. Dr. Marco Rieckmann has created two new e-lectures for the University of Rostock focusing on key aspects of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in higher education. The videos are part of an open-access online course and cover the following topics: 1. Introduction to ESD in Higher Education; 2. ESD Micro-Methods for Teaching. The full course is freely accessible here (in German):
https://www.uni-rostock.de/weiterbildung/offene-uni-rostock/onlinekurse/bildung-fuer-nachhaltige-entwicklung-in-der-hochschule/

New Interview: “Science Needs a Stance” [2025/10]

In a recent interview with Wissenschaft im Norden, Prof. Dr. Marco Rieckmann speaks about the growing political pressure on research and teaching, the importance of academic freedom, and the role of universities in times of societal transformation. The interview (in German) is available online: https://www.wissenschaft-im-norden.de/wissenschaft-braucht-haltung/

Prof. Dr. Marco Rieckmann appointed UNESCO Co-Chair at the University of Limerick (Ireland) [2025/03]

There are around 850 UNESCO Chairs in more than 110 countries, 17 of which are based in Germany. Prof. Dr. Marco Rieckmann has now been appointed to one of these roles — though his is one of only four Chairs located in Ireland, and his path to this position led through Spain. In line with the spirit of international science and education for sustainable development, the professor from the

Curriculum Vitae

1978 Born in Stade (Germany)

2004 Environmental Science ‘Diplom’ (Master’s equivalent), Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany

2004 - 2007 Research Fellow at the Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication (INFU), Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany (director: Prof. Dr. Gerd Michelsen)

2007 - 2009 PhD grant of the Heinrich Böll Foundation

2009 - 2013 Research Fellow at the Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication (INFU), Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany (director: Prof. Dr. Gerd Michelsen)

2009 - 2020 Lectureships at the University of Rostock, Germany (among others in the Master's programme "Sustainability and Education")

2010 PhD (Dr. rer. soc.) at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany, PhD Thesis Title: 'The Global Perspective of Education for Sustainable Development – A European-Latin-American Study about Key Competencies for Thinking and Acting in the World Society’)

2010 - 2013 Director of the Minor “Sustainability (Human) Sciences” at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany

2011 - 2013 Executive coordinator of the UNESCO Chair “Higher Education for Sustainable Development” at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany

2013 - 06/2017 Assistant Professor of Higher Education Development at the University of Vechta, Germany

02/2016 Successfull interim evaluation of the Assistant Professorship of Higher Education Development at the University of Vechta, Germany

02/2017 Job Offer for an Assistant Professorship of Sustainability Education at Arizona State University, USA

03/2017 Job Offer for a temporary Associate Professorship (5 years) of Higher Education Development at the University of Vechta, Germany

02/2021 Job Offer for an Associate Professorship of Educational Science at Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, Germany

06/2021 Job Offer for a permanent Associate Professorship of Higher Education Development at the University of Vechta, Germany

since 07/2017 Associate Professor of Higher Education Development, focus on key competencies, at the University of Vechta, Germany

since 2024 Co-Chair of the UNESCO Chair ‘Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy for Sustainable Development’ at the University of Limerick, Ireland

Main areas of research 

Education for sustainable development 

Global education

Sustainable university development 

Higher Education Development 

Competence development and acquisition 

Teaching and learning processes and methods 

Scientific Publishing

Member of the editorial board of „ZEP – Zeitschrift für internationale Bildungsforschung und Entwicklungspädagogik“  [Journal for International Education Research and Development Education] (since 2010)

Member of the editorial board of the journal "Sustainability Science" (since 2021)

Scholarships and Awards

10/2019: ERASMUS guest lectureship at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria

02/2014: DAAD short-term lectureship at the Universidad Técnica del Norte (Ecuador)

09/2012: Grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for participating at the European Conference on Education Research (ECER), Cádiz, Spain

03/2012: Guest Lecture Grant of the ERASMUS Programme, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria

2010: Awardee “Innovative Study Course” of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg for the project seminar “Education for Sustainable Consumption” (together with Daniel Fischer)

2009: Best Doctoral Researcher of the Year 2008 (Leuphana University of Lüneburg), 2nd place

2007–2009: PhD grant of the Heinrich Böll Foundation

2002–2004: study grant of the Heinrich Böll Foundation

Academic self-administration

Dean of Studies of Faculty I of the University of Vechta (since 2023)

Member of the Academic Senate of the University of Vechta (2019-2021)

Member of the Commission for International Cooperation of the Senate of the University of Vechta (since 2017)

Member of the Study Commission of the Faculty I – Education and Social Sciences of the University of Vechta (2017-2023)

Member of the selection committee "Education and Gender" (W1) at the University of Vechta (Chairman) (2017)

Member of the selection committee "Primary School Pedagogy" (W1) at the University of Vechta (Vice Chairman) (2016-2017)

Presidential Advisor on Sustainability of the University of Vechta (since 2015)

Director of the Department of Education of the University of Vechta (2015-2018)

Alternate Member of the Central Commission for Teaching and Learning of the University of Vechta (since 2015)

Deputy Member of the Central Commission for Teaching and Studies (ZKLS) of the University of Vechta (2015-2017)

External member of the selection committee "Didactics of Natural Sciences" (W1 with tenure track) of Leuphana University Lüneburg (2015)

Member of the Council of the Faculty of Sustainability of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany)

Member of the Academic Senate of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany)

Bachelor Combined Studies
•    ewb001  Fundamentals and basic concepts of educational science
•    ewb007  Pedagogical fields of action and cross-cutting issues
•    ewb009  Educational research fields
•    ewb010  Education for Sustainable Development
•    opb001  Preparation and evaluation seminar for the orientation internship
•    pbx014  Sustainable Development
•    pbx015  Sustainable development in social and political practice

Master of Education
•    pbm002  Education for Sustainable Development

4.11.2026: Chancen interdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit und der gemeinsamen Gestaltung von Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung. IGA-Bildungsprogramm der Stadt Dortmund

2.11.2026: A Rounder Sense of Purpose – BNE-Kompetenzen für Lehrkräfte. Landestagung der außerschulischen Lernorte, Soltau (Keynote)

6.10.2026: Lehre 2030: Zukunftskompetenzen für eine digitale und nachhaltige Gesellschaft. Jubiläumskonferenz zu 15 Jahre Virtuelle Akademie Nachhaltigkeit, Universität Bremen (Keynote)

29.09.2026: BNE in Schule und Bildungslandschaft wirksam verankern – wissenschaftliche Befunde, gute Argumente und die Kraft von Kooperationen. Netzwerktag BNE, Bremen, Germany (Keynote)

8.09.2026: BNE ist nicht gescheitert, „Unterhausdebatte“, Tagung „Bildung in der Klimakrise und die Klimakrise der Bildung – Gestaltungsansätze, Kontroversen, Desiderate, Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, Germany

3.09.2026: Professional Action Competence for Sustainability and Climate Education: An Empirical Study with German Educators, Jahrestagung der DGfE-Kommission BNE 2026, TU Dortmund (together with: Güliz Karaarslan-Semiz)

27.05.2026: Klimawandel, Umweltangst und Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung: Wie kann nachhaltiges Handeln gelernt werden? Thüringer Landeszentrale für politische Bildung (TLpB) (online)

21.05.2026: Educating for Sustainability: Student Competencies, Educator Competencies, and the Transformative Potential of Service Learning, Utrecht University (Netherlands)

30.03.2026: Embedding Sustainability in Curricula: A Strategic ESD Perspective. Blue Education Workshop II: Curriculum (online)

25.03.2026: From learning about sustainability to learning through sustainability: Service learning as a transformative pathway in education for sustainable development, III Congreso Internacional sobre Innovación, Didáctica y Educación para la Sostenibilidad 2026 (CIIDES), Universidad de Alicante, Spain (online)

16.02.2026: Educator Competencies for Education for Sustainable Development. International course ‘Higher Education Didactics for Sustainability’ (HEDS), Lund University, Sweden (online)

05.02.2026: Empowering Educators: Building Competencies for Sustainable Futures. AIESEP Specialist Seminar: Future Matters: Reimagining Physical Education for a Changing World, HEP Vaud, Lausanne, Switzerland

28.01.2026: Wie wirkt BNE? Einblicke in das Projekt IMP>ACT. Lecture series on the topic „Vermessung von Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung: Wie verankert ist das Bildungskonzept in Schulen und Hochschulen?“, University of Regensburg, Germany (online)

19.12.2025: Higher Education for Sustainable Development as a Lever for Personal and Societal Transformation. Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany

05.11.2025: IMP>ACT: Developing Assessment Tools for Action Competence in Sustainability and Climate Change Education. Brown Bag Lecture. University of Vechta, Germany

15.10.2025: Educación para el desarrollo sustentable en la educación superior: Fundamentos, aprendizaje-servicio y evaluación de la competencia para la acción. VI Convención Internacional UCIENCIA 2025, II Taller Internacional Educación Superior para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ESODES’25), Cuba (online)

09.10.2025: Kompetenzen für Lehrkräfte-Fortbildende im Themenfeld BNE – A Rounder Sense of Purpose, Landesinstitut für Schulqualität und Lehrerbildung Sachsen-Anhalt (LISA), Halle, Germany (online)

25.09.2025: FUTURE WALK – Ein Format für junge Menschen zur Stärkung von Visionsfähigkeit und politischer Partizipation. Jahrestagung der BNE-Kommission der DGfE zum Thema "Bildung, Demokratie & Nachhaltigkeit", TU Dresden, Germany (together with: Hannah Hoff)

12.09.2025: Pedagogical Principles of the Action-Oriented Approach in Sustainability and Climate Change Education. Symposium “Towards a User-centered Framework for Impact Assessment of Sustainability and Climate Change Education: Initial Results of the IMP>ACT Project”, “The Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives”, European Conference on Educational Research 2025, Belgrade, Serbia (together with: Güliz Karaarslan Semiz)

11.09.2025: Sustainability Awareness Among German Youth: A Scoping Review. “The Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives”, European Conference on Educational Research 2025, Belgrade, Serbia (together with: Hannah Hoff, Traugott Haas)

11.09.2025: From Reflection to Action: Practice-oriented ESD Competencies of Latin American University Teachers. “The Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives”, European Conference on Educational Research 2025, Belgrade, Serbia (together with: Marisol Lopera Pérez)

9.09.2025: Implementing Service Learning in Higher Education as a Catalyst for Sustainable Institutional Transformation. “The Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives”, European Conference on Educational Research 2025, Belgrade, Serbia (together with: Alexandra Reith)

3.09.2025: Service Learning in der Hochschulbildung. Für nachhaltige Transformation im Ländlichen Raum. Conference „Zukunft lernen, Wandel gestalten Innovative Formate für Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Hochschule“, University of Vechta, Germany (together with: Alexandra Reith)

07.07.2025: Querschnittsthemen vernetzen. Inter- und transdisziplinäre Diskurse. „Im Dialog: Querschnittsthemen vernetzen”, Lecture series of the Center for Teacher Education (ZfL) at Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany

03.07.2025: Teacher Education for Sustainable Development (TESD). Ogun State Sustainability Education Program, Nigeria (online)

06.06.2025: Sustainability in Education and Educational Research: Discourses, Challenges, and Perspectives. 2nd Eucor Doctoral Colloquium in Educational Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts FHNW, Switzerland

29.05.2025: El rol de las universidades en la transformación sustentable de la sociedad. Jornada de Cátedra Permanente, Universidad de la Amazonía, Colombia (online)

28.05.2025: Germany’s Policy Approach to Future Education. 2025 Gyeonggi International Online Forum, South Corea (online)

22.05.2025: Education for Sustainable Development in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. UNESCO Chair PEPAYS Ireland Lecture, University of Limerick, Ireland

26.03.2025: Service Learning und die nachhaltige Transformation von Hochschulen – eine multiple Fallstudie. Fachtagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hochschuldidaktik (dghd) 2025 „Schlüsselkompetenzen und Hochschuldidaktik: Bausteine für eine transformative Hochschullehre“, Frankfurt/Main, Germany (zusammen mit: Katrin Hedemann, Alexandra Reith, Dr.in Ann-Kathrin Bremer, Prof.in Dr.in Anne-Kathrin Lindau, Juliana Hilf, Prof. Dr. Michael Böcher, Dr. Bror Giesenbauer, Ina Stausebach)

26.03.2025: Die Rolle von Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung für den Erwerb von Schlüsselkompetenzen an Hochschulen. Fachtagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hochschuldidaktik (dghd) 2025 „Schlüsselkompetenzen und Hochschuldidaktik: Bausteine für eine transformative Hochschullehre“, Paneldiskussion, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

24.03.2025: Kompetenzen für Lehrkräfte-Fortbildende im Themenfeld Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung – A Rounder Sense of Purpose. Netzwerk „Orientierungsrahmen Globale Entwicklung in der Lehrkräfte(fort)bildung“ ORGE-Fachtagung 2025, Hanover, Germany

12.02.2025: Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education – Theoretical principles and practical experience in Germany. Taylor's University, Malaysia (online)

6.02.2025: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung: Grundlagen, Herausforderungen und aktuelle Debatten. Workshop „Pädagogik in Krisenzeiten: Erziehung und Bildung gegen die Krise?“, Panel „Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung“, Universität Wuppertal, Germany

30.01.2025: Nachhaltigkeit lehren, Zukunft gestalten: Wege zu einer transformativen Hochschullehre. Tag der Lehre 2025 „Heute <–> Morgen: Nachhaltigkeit in der Hochschullehre “, Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland (Keynote)

29.01.2025: ESD in Higher Education – Exploring MOOCs, Microcredentials, and Collaborative Online International Learning as Innovative Settings for ESD. Una Europa Online Community event: Innovative education formats for sustainability (online)

09.01.2025: Engaging Critically with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Université Paris Cité, Learning Planet Institute, Paris, France

03.12.2024: Advancing ESD: Professional Development for Higher Education (Teaching) Staff. Pontos de Encontro - Educação para a Sustentabilidade, Portugal (online)

29.11.2024: Developing and Testing Novel Learning Interventions to Strengthen Sustainability Competencies of Youth in Rural Areas. Kagoshima-Vechta-Conference, University of Vechta, Germany (together with Hannah Hoff & Traugott Haas)

28.11.2024: Exploring action-oriented approaches in sustainability and climate change education: Insights from a systematic literature review. Kagoshima-Vechta-Conference, University of Vechta, Germany (Poster) (together with Güliz Karaarslan-Semiz)

27.11.2024: Service Learning and Sustainable Transformation at Universities: A Multiple Case Study in Germany. Kagoshima-Vechta-Conference, University of Vechta, Germany (together with Alexandra Reith & Katrin Hedemann)

7.11.2024: Entwicklung von Handlungskompetenz durch Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung | EU-Projekt IMP>ACT. 9. Forschungsfördertag der Universität Vechta „Global vernetzt, regional verankert. Forschung und Transfer international“, University of Vechta, Germany

25.10.2024: Transformative Lehrer:innenbildung: Prinzipien und Gelingensbedingungen. Internationales Symposium „Transformative Bildung an Schulen und Hochschulen“, Pädagogische Hochschule Salzburg, Austria

24.10.2024: Development of Sustainability Competencies in Higher Education, I. International Sustainability Congress, Istanbul, Turkey (online)

09.10.2024: Educación para la Sustentabilidad y Competencias, Curso “Sustentabilidad, Competencias y ODS”, Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador (online)

8.10.2024: Collaborating for the Future: The Role of Participation in Education for Sustainable Development, Klett ESD meeting (online)

02.10.2024: Historia y Concepciones de la Sustentabilidad, Curso “Sustentabilidad, Competencias y ODS”, Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador (online)

25.09.2024: La Investigación Cualitativa: Objetivos, Métodos y Prácticas, Instituto Tecnológico Superior Ibarra, Ecuador

19.09.2024: Educación para la Sustentabilidad en las Universidades. Comunidad de Práctica: Incorporación de la Sustentabilidad al Currículo de las universidades de AUSJAL (online)

13.09.2024: Governance und Kommunikation. Zwischenkonferenz des Projekts „Zukunftsforum klimafreundliche Hochschulen“, Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde, Germany

29.08.2024: Empowering Youth in Rural Areas for Future Challenges – A Qualitive Study on Sustainability Awareness and Competencies. European Conference on Educational Research 2024, Nicosia, Cyprus (together with Hannah Hoff and Traugott Haas)

28.08.2024: Service Learning and Sustainable Transformation at Universities – A Multiple Case Study in Germany. European Conference on Educational Research 2024, Nicosia, Cyprus (together with Alexandra Reith, Katrin Hedemann, Anne-Kathrin Lindau, Ann-Kathrin Bremer, Michael Böcher, Juliana Hilf and Bror Giesenbauer)

27.08.2024: The Relationship between ESE Research and Policy exemplified by the Greencomp Framework. Panel: Implications of Policy in the Field of ESE in Europe: examples and reflections. European Conference on Educational Research 2024, Nicosia, Cyprus (input as interview)

26.06.2024: Inklusive Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Digitalität: Prinzipien und Umsetzungsmöglichkeiten, Kolloquium Bildung & Digitalität: Nachhaltigkeit, TU Darmstadt, Germany (online)

19.06.2024: Projekt „Zukunftsforum klimafreundliche Hochschulen“, Workshop „Verstetigung und Co-Benefits von Klimaschutzmaßnahmen“, Vernetzungstreffen der Nationalen Klimaschutzinitiative (NKI), Umweltforum, Berlin, Germany

12.03.2024: Lehrer:innenbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung: Ein Überblick über ein aufstrebendes Forschungsgebiet. GERA Conference 2024 „Krisen und Transformationen”, Symposium „Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung als Beitrag zur gesellschaftlichen Transformation? Herausforderungen für die Lehrer*innenbildung“, Halle, Germany (video recording)

11.03.2024: Zwischen globalen Krisen und nachhaltiger Transformation – Kritische Reflexion einer Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung mit Perspektiven aus dem Globalen Süden. GERA Conference 2024 „Krisen und Transformationen”, Halle, Germany (one of eight main lectures) (video recording)

11.03.2024: Service Learning und nachhaltige Transformation an Hochschulen – Senatra. DGfE-Kongress 2024 „Krisen und Transformationen”, Halle (Poster) (together with Juliana Hilf, Michael Böcher, Katrin Hedemann, Alexandra Reith, Bror Giesenbauer, Ann-Kathrin Bremer, Anne-K. Lindau, Ina Stausebach)

28.02.2024: ESD in Higher Education. Pedagogical course “Higher Education Didactics for Sustainability”, Karlstad University, Sweden (online)

16.01.2024: BNE-Pädagogik und Transformatives Lernen mit einem speziellen Blick auf das FÖJ. FÖJ-Fachtagung 2024 „BNE und Transformatives Lernen – Weiterentwicklung der FÖJ-Konzepte“, Berlin, Germany (Keynote)

06.12.2023: BNE-Kompetenzen von Lehrenden. Lunch & Learn-Session Transformative Skills für Nachhaltigkeit, Germany (online)

30.11.2023: Inklusionsorientierte Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung. Aktionstage Nachhaltigkeit, Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik Zürich, Switzerland (online)

28.09.2023: Zielgruppengerechte Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation: Wie bringe ich Nachhaltigkeit an die Menschen? 3. Netzwerktreffen „Netzwerk Werkstatt Zukunftsschule“, Museum am Schölerberg, Osnabrück, Germany

27.09.2023: Educación Superior para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sustentable: Experiencias, retos y perspectivas, I Taller Internacional “Educación Superior para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible”, Cuba (Keynote) (online)

21.09.2023: Welche professionellen Handlungskompetenzen brauchen Lehrende für die pädagogische Arbeit mit Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung? Dialogforum „Verankerung von Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BNE) in allen Phasen der Hamburger Lehrer:innenbildung – Zielsetzung und Umsetzung“, Landesinstitut für Lehrerbildung und Schulentwicklung, Hamburg, Germany

01.09.2023: ESD and Transfer in Higher Education. Conference ‘Teaching and Learning for Change: Sustainability in Higher Education’, Bern, Switzerland (Keynote)

31.08.2023: Education for Sustainable Development in Teacher Education and Schools – Transformative and Disruptive Education. Summer School ‘Teaching for Sustainable Development’, Universität Marburg, Germany (Keynote)

25.08.2023: Transformative Learning. Exploring the Potential of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning for Sustainability Transformations. European Conference on Educational Research 2023, Glasgow, Scotland (together with Alexandra Reith, Pascal Frank, Gianna Maria Henkel)

22.08.2023: A qualitive study on sustainability awareness and competencies of young people in rural areas – Empowerment through new educational settings. European Conference on Educational Research 2023, Glasgow, Scotland (together with Ann-Kristin Mueller, Hannah Hoff, Traugott Haas)

10.08.2023: Education for the Sustainable Development Goals – Relevance, Aims and Pedagogy. Seminario Internacional, Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia (Keynote) (online)

21.07.2023: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Hochschulbildung – Empirische Erkenntnisse und Forschungsperspektiven. Universität Regensburg, Germany

12.07.2023: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung als Querschnittsaufgabe der Lehrer:innenbildung, Forum Education Research at the University of Hildesheim, Germany (online)

30.06.2023: Educación para el Desarrollo Sustentable en Experiencias de Educación Superior entre América Latina y Alemania. CALCA Network Meeting (online)

28.06.2023: Nachhaltige Hochschulentwicklung – Gelingensbedingungen und praktische Umsetzung, Ringvorlesung an der Technischen Hochschule Augsburg, Germany (video recording)

15.06.2023: A Rounder Sense of Purpose – Bildung für eine gerechte und nachhaltige Zukunft, Verleihung der „Nationalen Auszeichnung Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung“ und BenE München Forum 2023, Munich, Germany

09.06.2023: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung, IGS Garbsen, Germany

06.06.2023: Senatra – Service Learning und nachhaltige Transformation an Hochschulen, 6th BMBF Symposium "Sustainability in Science - Towards a Sustainable Higher Education and Science System", Berlin, Germany (Poster) (together with K. Hedemann, A. Reith, B. Giesenbauer, A.-K. Bremer, A.-K. Lindau, M. Böcher, J. Hilf, I. Stausebach)

05.06.2023: Senatra – Service Learning und nachhaltige Transformation an Hochschulen, Kick-off of the "Transformation Pathways for Sustainable Universities" funding line, Umweltforum Berlin, Germany

02.06.2023: Senatra – Service Learning und nachhaltige Transformation an Hochschulen. DG HochN Hub „Transformationspfade Hub: Service Learning als innovatives Lehrformat für BNE“ (online)

02.06.2023: Ansatzpunkte und Herausforderungen in der Hochschule zur Verbindung von BNE und inklusiver Bildung. Workshop: Inklusive Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung in Lehre und Forschung „All Means All – Inklusive Umsetzung von SDG 4 zwischen Anspruch und Realität“ (online)

11.05.2023: In-service training courses on education for sustainable development. OECD webinar “Higher education and innovation competencies Embedding digital and green competencies in initial teacher education and continuing professional development” (online)

26.04.2023: Service Learning für nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Lehrer*innenbildung. Runder Tisch: Lehrer*innenbildung – (Weiter)Bildung im und nach dem Studium. Ein Austausch von Vertreter*innen des Forums Schule und des Forums Hochschule im nationalen BNE-Prozess, Berlin, Germany

31.03.2023: La Calidad de la Educación y la Educación para el Desarrollo Sustentable, Seminario Internacional “Calidad de la Educación en el Marco de los ODS”, Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador (Keynote)

10.03.2023: Transformation lernen. Unterstützung des gesamtinstitutionellen Ansatzes  
einer BNE an Sekundarschulen durch Selbstevaluation. Jahrestagung der Sektion für Interkulturelle und International Vergleichende Erziehungswissenschaft (SIIVE) der  Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE), Freie Universität Berlin, Germany (together with Alexandra Reith)

01.03.2023: Symposium „Der Umgang von Lehrkräften mit Herausforderungen in der Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BNE)“, GEBF 2023, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Germany (Discussant)

13.02.2023: Eine erziehungswissenschaftliche Betrachtung von Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung. GDCP-Schwerpunkttagung „BNE“, TU München, Akademiezentrum Raitenhaslach, Germany (Keynote)

20.01.2023: Schulentwicklung durch BNE-Self-Assessment mithilfe des internetgestützten Tools „Jump into Sustainable Lifestyle“, Vernetzungstreffen „Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Lehrkräftebildung“, Universität Hildesheim, Germany (Poster) (together with: Alexandra Reith)

15.12.2022: Professionalisierung in der dritten Phase der Lehrkräftebildung mithilfe eines internet-gestützten schulischen Self-Assessment nach dem Whole School Approach. Conference of the German-speaking Network Teacher Education for Sustainable Development – LeNa (online) (together with: Alexandra Reith)

15.12.2022: Wo stehen wir in der Forschung zur Lehrkräftebildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung? Einsichten aus einem systematischen Literaturreview. Conference of the German-speaking Network Teacher Education for Sustainable Development – LeNa (online) (speaker: Daniel Fischer; co-authors: Jordan King, Marco Rieckmann, Matthias Barth, Alexander Büssing, Ingrid Hemmer, Detlev Lindau-Bank)

09.12.2022: Professionelle Kompetenz der Lehrenden in der Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung – Überblick über ein Forschungsfeld. ZfE-Forum 2022 „Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung“, Germany (online)

02.12.2022: Didaktische Prinzipien & Methoden für die Umsetzung von BNE in der Grundschule. Seminar „Fridays for Future, Klimawandel und Fair Trade – Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Grundschule“, Universität Würzburg, Germany (online)

28.09.2022: Sustainability in Curriculum – The relevance of academic staff development. Seminar Series Autumn Semester 2022 at AHU, Lund University “Sustainable Teaching & Learning on Higher Education: Principles & Practices” (online)

27.09.2022: The challenges of the SDGs to Higher Education with a special focus on climate change. ISLE’s 10th Anniversary Conference 2022, University of Valladolid, Spain (online) (Keynote)

21.09.2022: Service Learning as a Building Block of Sustainable University Development. UNISERVITATE Service Learning Conference 2022, KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany (Keynote)

19.09.2022: Education for Sustainable Development in Teacher Education: Perspectives and challenges in practice and research, UNITE International Summer School “Sustainability in Schools and Teacher Education”, University of Cologne (Germany) (Keynote)

06.09.2022: Verankerung von Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung im Schulcurriculum – Erfahrungen aus dem Erasmus+ Projekt „ESD:SuperVision 4.0“. DGfE-BNE-Kommissionstagung „Ökologische, gesellschaftliche und individuelle Umbrüche und ihre Bedeutung für Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung“, Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main (Germany) (together with Lukas Scherak)

02.09.2022: Formative Evaluation of the Internet-based Self-Assessment Tool for Schools’ Whole Institution Approach towards ESD. European Conference on Educational Research 2022 “Education in a Changing World: The impact of global realities on the prospects and experiences of educational research” – ECER Plus (online) (together with Alexandra Reith)

02.09.2022: Education for the Sustainable Development Goals. A Latin-American Survey on University Teachers’ Competences. European Conference on Educational Research 2022 “Education in a Changing World: The impact of global realities on the prospects and experiences of educational research” – ECER Plus (online) (together with Marisol Lopera Pérez, Alejandro Álvarez Vanegas, Patricia Aguirre & Andrea Corres)

01.09.2022: Serious Game Development for Climate Change Education. Co-Creating “pigNplay” on Nitrogen Emission Reduction Using a Participatory Living Lab Approach. European Conference on Educational Research 2022 “Education in a Changing World: The impact of global realities on the prospects and experiences of educational research” – ECER Plus (online) (together with Alexandra Reith, Sarah Reddig, Justus von Geibler & Gero Corzilius)

29.08.2022: Education for the Sustainable Development Goals – Theoretical foundations and pedagogical practice, Summer School “Teaching the SDGs”, University of Potsdam, Germany (Keynote)

02.08.2022: Economic discussions on sustainability in a nutshell, Green Camp Summer School, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Germany (online)

01.08.2022: Sustainable Development: Why? What? How?, Green Camp Summer School, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Germany (online)

28.07.2022: Quo vadis, BNE? Aktueller Stand und Zukunftsvisionen für eine BNE aus dialogischer Sicht zweier Expert:innen, Treffen anlässlich des 10-jährigen Jubiläums des BNE-Hochschulnetzwerks Baden-Württemberg, PH Weingarten, Germany (Keynote) (together with Dr. Antje Brock, FU Berlin)

14.07.2022: „A Rounder Sense of Purpose”: Welche professionellen Kompetenzen brauchen Hochschullehrende für eine BNE-orientierte Lehre?, Tagung „Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung an Hochschulen: Aktuelle Herausforderungen und zukünftige Perspektiven“ des Forums Hochschule, BMBF, Berlin, Germany (Keynote)

29.06.2022: Externe Perspektive eines „critical friend“ auf das Leitbild Lehre der HNEE – Potentiale für Alleinstellungsmerkmale Eberswalder Absolvent:innen, Tag der Lehre an der Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde, Germany (Keynote)

28.06.2022: UNESCO’s publication “Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives“, Workshop “Teaching sustainable development: from a disciplinary to a learning outcome approach”, Ecole des Ponts Paris, France (online)

24.06.2022: Das FÖJ als Lernsetting einer Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung, Feier zum 25jährigen Bestehen des Freiwilligen Ökologischen Jahres (FÖJ) in Rheinland-Pfalz, Mainz, Germany (online)

23.06.2022: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung: Theoretische Grundlagen und praktische Umsetzung, Kompetenztag BNE der Klett-Gruppe, Europäische Fachhochschule Rhein/Erft GmbH, Berlin, Germany (Keynote)

18.05.2022: Educación para el desarrollo sustentable para la vida, Event “Educación para la sostenibilidad, ¿puente entre colegios y universidades?”, Parque Explora, Medellin, Colombia (online)

16.05.2022: Contexto EDS, ¿cuál es la urgencia? Workshop EDS, Universidad EAFIT & Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia (online)

06.05.2022: La formación de competencias clave para el desarrollo sustentable en la educación superior. Jornada: Incorporar els ODS a la docència: Comencem pels TFG i TFM, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain (Keynote) (online)

05.05.2022: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung: Befähigung zum Umgang mit dem Klimawandel!? Climate Action Academy: Water - Germany 2022 (online)

05.04.2022: Nachhaltig bilden – mehr als Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung? 5. Jahrestagung zur Forschung der Pädagogischen Hochschulen im Verbund Nord-Ost, Hochschule für Agrar- und Umweltpädagogik, Vienna, Austria (Keynote) (online)

18.03.2022: Education for the Sustainable Development Goals. Teaching Practices and Educators’ Competences in Latin America. World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) 2022, Prague, Czech Republic (online) (together with Marisol Lopera Pérez, Alejandro Alvarez Vanegas, Patricia Aguirre, Andrea Corres Gallardo)

18.03.2022: pigNplay. Co-Creating Learner-Friendly Features of a Serious Game Simulating Mitigation in Pig-Farming. World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) 2022, Prague, Czech Republic (online) (together with Alexandra Reith)

15.03.2022: Education for the Sustainable Development Goals in the Agribusiness and Food Production Sector – Insights from a European Project. World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) 2022, Prague, Czech Republic (online) (together with Lukas Scherak, Larissa Jaeger u.a.)

15.03.2022: A Whole-School Approach to Education for Sustainability: Co-Creating an International Platform for School Self-Assessment. World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) 2022, Prague, Czech Republic (online) (together with Alexandra Reith)

14.03.2022: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung und Serious Games. pigNplay als Beispiel für die co-kreative Entwicklung digitaler Lernmedien. 28. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE) „Ent | grenz | ungen“, 13.-16.03.2022, Universität Bremen, Germany (Poster) (online) (together with Alexandra Reith)

14.03.2022: Schulentwicklung für mehr Nachhaltigkeit durch Self-Assessment. Die Entwicklung des internetgestützten Tools „Jump into a sustainable Livestyle“. 28. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE) „Ent | grenz | ungen“, 13.-16.03.2022, Universität Bremen, Germany (Poster) (online) (together with Alexandra Reith)

14.03.2022: A Rounder Sense of Purpose. Grenzen einer Kompetenzbildung für BNE-Lehrende. 28. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE) „Ent | grenz | ungen“, 13.-16.03.2022, Universität Bremen, Germany (Poster) (online) (together with Lukas Scherak)

17.12.2021: Nachhaltigkeit in der Hochschulgovernance, 4. Treffen der AG Nachhaltigkeit an Brandenburger Hochschulen, Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde, Germany (online) (together with Prof.in Dr. Inka Bormann, FU Berlin)

27.11.2021: Higher Education for Sustainability: Trends and Critical Perspectives, 9.º Congresso Olhares sobre a Educação / 2nd International Congress Perspectives on Education, Polytechnic of Viseu, School of Education, Portugal (Keynote) (online)

26.11.2021: Education for the SDGs – approaches for its strategic implementation in the curriculum to foster related learning outcomes, 1st International Conference for Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education (1st SustEntEd 21) & Final Multiplier Event of INTRINSIC, Austria (Keynote) (online)

26.11.2021: Proyectos financiados por el DAAD sobre la educación basada en competencias en la educación superior (2014-2021), Seminar “La innovación en educación basada en competencias. Experiencias desde la cooperación académica”, Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador (online)

25.11.2021: ESD in higher education: Developing key competencies for sustainable development, Seminar of the Research Centre of Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education Research (SMEER), Karlstad University, Sweden (online)

19.11.2021: Key competencies for sustainability, Project PBLforSDG, Working Group on Competencies for Sustainability, University Pompeu Fabra (UPF) & Catesco, Spain (online)

2.11.2021: Nachhaltige Entwicklung und deren Umsetzung in der Schule, Emmy-Noether-Gymnasium, Berlin (online)

23.10.2021: Educación para los ODS – Desarrollo de competencias de sustentabilidad, Seminario Internacional “Desarrollo de competencias para la transformación hacía el cumplimiento de los ODS”, Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador (online)

16.07.2021: El rol de la educación en el contexto de los Objetivos del Desarrollo Sostenible, Seminario CUTONALÁ-DAAD “Nexus entre el agua y la energía en la implementación de los ODS”, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico (online)

26.05.2021: Sustainability Governance at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Webinar “Sustainability and Higher Education in a European Perspective”, Danish School of Education (online)

12.05.2021: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung und inklusive Bildung, Ringvorlesung "Bildung 2050 - II Herausforderungen für Menschen und Gesellschaft" der PH Weingarten (online)

07.05.2021: Whole Institution Approach im globalen Kontext, SummerSchool der BNE-Kommission in der DGfE, Universität Hannover (online)

23.04.2021: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Schule - Konzeptionelle Grundlagen und praktische Umsetzung, 4. Pädagogischer Tag "Sustainable Development Goals - ein Handlungskompass für Schulen?", Universität Vechta (online)

21.04.2021: Los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sustentable – El rol de la educación, Universidad Gerardo Barrios, El  Salvador (online)

15.04.2021: Formación docente para el desarrollo sustentable, Jornadas “Conexiones y contextos para la Educación Matemática. Abriendo caminos hacia la sostenibilidad y el STEAM”, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain (online)

19.02.2021: A Rounder Sense of Purpose: BNE-Kompetenzen von Lehrenden im Lichte von wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen und gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen, Annual Conference 2021 of the Division International and Intercultural Comparative Education (SIIVE) of the German Educational Research Association (GERA/DGfE), TU Dortmund (online) (together with Lukas Scherak)

28.01.2021: Sustainability Governance at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Insights and experiences from German HEIs, Online-Seminar "Sustainability Governance in Higher Education. What matters? Disseminating research and practice examples from Germany and Portugal", Working group on Governance and Sustainability Strategies of the Portuguese Network Sustainable Campus, Portugal (online) (together with Mara Bauer)

22.01.2021: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung – Bildungstheoretische Fundierungen, 44. Symposium der AKRK-

Research and development projects

Current Projects

Building climate resilience in agricultural landscapes through social-ecological diversification, co-design and transdisciplinary learning (AgRe-Lab) (funded by zukunft.niedersachsen – Climate Future Labs)
Collaborative research project coordinated by the University of Göttingen and implemented in cooperation with the Thünen Institute, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Technische Universität Braunschweig, and further partners from research and practice; project duration: 2026–2032

Impact Assessment for Action Competence (IMP>ACT) (funded by Horizon Europe - HORIZON-CL5-2023-D1-01-10)

Joint project with the University of Utrecht (Netherlands), Karlstad University (Sweden), University of Antwerpen (Belgium), Masaryk University (Czech Republic) and other partners from different European countries; duration: 2024-2027

 

Completed Projects

Project "4N - Nordwest Niedersachsen Nachhaltig Neu", Subproject "Transformative education and transformation of learning spaces for sustainable development" (funded by Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture)

Research partnership with the Jade University of Applied Sciences Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg/Elsfleth and the Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences; sub-project lead; duration: 2022–2026

NKI: Future Forum for Climate-Friendly Universities (ZKH) (financed by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection)

Collaborative project under the leadership of the network n and with the University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde (HNEE); duration: 2023-2026

Model Project "HochNiNa: Standardization, Further Development, and Communication of Greenhouse Gases in Lower Saxony Universities" (financed by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Environment, Energy, and Climate Protection)

Collaborative project under the leadership of the University of Oldenburg with other Lower Saxony universities; duration: 2023-2026

Project „Senatra – Service Learning and sustainable transformation at higher education institutions“ (funded by the BMBF)

Joint project led by the University of Vechta with netzwerk n e.V., the University of Bremen, the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt; project lead; duration: 2022-2025

Network initiative "Transformative Skills for Sustainability" (funded by the Stifterverband, the Carl Zeiss Foundation and the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt)

Community of Practice of 20 higher education institutions working on concrete challenges in the development of new learning and teaching concepts for the acquisition of sustainability competences; duration: 2023-2024

Project "Education for Sustainable Development Goals - Capacity Building for Educators" (funded by DAAD)

Cooperation project with Universidad Técnica del Norte (Ecuador), Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia) and Universidad EAFIT (Colombia); lead partner, duration: 2021–2024

Project "BIOCULT - Culture and Conservation: Harnessing synergies between cultural traditions and biodiversity protection" (funded by DAAD)

Cooperation project with Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, duration: 2021–2024

Project "SUSTAIN-Biodiversity Education for Sustainable Development" (funded by EU Erasmus+ / Key Action 2)

Joint project with Asociación Mundus (Spain, project lead) and the organisations ASSERTED KNOWLEDGE (Greece), ATERMON (Netherlands), Formative Footprint (Spain) and the Greek school "Educational Organisation Themistoklis S.A."; duration: 2021-2023 (more information in the first newsletter)

Project "ESD:SuperVision 4.0" (funded by EU Erasmus+ / Key Action 2)

Joint project led by the University of Vechta with the University of Karlova (Czech Republic), the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) and other universities and schools from Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Germany; lead partner; duration: 2020-2023

Project „Development of an evaluation concept for competence development for the International Academy Transformation for Environment and Sustainability at the Federal Environment Agency (TESACADEV)“ (funded by the BMBF)

Joint project led by the University of Vechta with Freie Universität Berlin and in collaboration with the Federal Environment Agency (UBA); duration: 2022-2023

Project "One university - one book: University of Vechta reads 'Tiefenlager' by Annette Hug" (funded by Stifterverband and Klaus Tschira Stiftung)

Project at the University of Vechta; project lead; duration: 2022–2023

Project "TeRRIFICA - Territorial RRI Fostering Innovative Climate Action" (funded by EU Horizon 2020 - SwafS-2018-2020 - Science with and for Society)

Joint project with the Science Shop Bonn and universities and other partners from Germany, France, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Belarus; duration: 2019-2022

Project "Development of a system-oriented serious game (Play) in the Living Lab for the virtual simulation of concepts and options for action to reduce nitrogen (N) emissions in pig farming (Pig) and to adapt farms to climate change (PigNPlay)" (funded by Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt - DBU)

Joint project led by the University of Vechta with the University of Göttingen, the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy and the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI); duration: 2021-2023

Project "Sustainability Framework for School Self-Assessment 'Jump into Sustainable Lifestyle' (JSL)" (funded by EU Erasmus+ / Key Action 2)

Joint project with the Lithuanian Children and Youth Center (Lithuania) and higher education institutions from Estonia, Lithuania and Scotland; duration: 2020-2022

Project "SDGs Labs - Making the SDGs our business" (funded by EU Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances)

Joint project with the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration (Austria) and other universities and companies in the agri-food sector from Germany, Italy, Austria and Portugal; duration: 2019-2022

Project "Development and Implementation of a Master's Programme 'Competence-based Higher Education'" (funded by DAAD)

Cooperation project with Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador, and Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia; lead partner, duration: 2017–2021

Project "A Rounder Sense of Purpose II (RSPII)" (funded by EU Erasmus+ / Key Action 2)

Joint project with the University of Gloucestershire (UK) and other universities from Cyprus, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland; duration: 2018-2021

Project "Sustainabililty at universities (HochN): develop - network - report (funded by the BMBF)

Joint project with the University of Hamburg (lead partner) and the Free University of Berlin, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen,  Zittau/Görlitz University, University of  Duisburg-Essen, Technical University of Dresden, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of München, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, University of  Bremen, University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde; duration: 2016-2021

Project "Reconciling human livelihood needs and nature conservation in East African forest biodiversity hotspots" (funded by DAAD)

Cooperation project with TU Munich, duration: 2016-2019

Project "Enhancing Responsible Research and Innovation through Curricula in Higher Education – EnRRICH" (funded by EU Horizon 2020)

Cooperation project with the Free University of Brussels (Belgium) and other universities as well as science shops from Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Hungary, Spain and the UK; duration: 2015-2018

Project "Competencies for A sustainable Socio Economic development" (CASE) (funded by EU Erasmus+ / Knowledge Alliances-Sector Skills Alliances)

Cooperation project with the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and other universities and companies from Germany, Italy, Austria, Sweden and the Czech Republic; management of a work package; duration: 2015-2017

Project "Summer School 'Empirical Research on Education for Sustainable Development - Topics, Methods and Trends'" (funded by BMBF)

Scientific Event / Summer School ; lead partner; duration: 2014

Project "Competence-based Teaching and Learning in Higher Education" 
(funded by DAAD)

Cooperation project with the Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador, and the Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia; lead partner; duration: 2014–2016

Project InVECTra ("Strengthening the integration and transmission of competence development in teaching and study at the University of Vechta") (funded by BMBF)

Development project; cooperation and coordination; duration: 2012-2016

Literature review on research on higher education for sustainable development (1992-2012) (financed with own resources)

Own project; together with Prof. Dr. Matthias Barth (Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe); duration: 2012–2013

Project „Analyis of sustainabililty-relevant competencies among students“ (funded by the Leuphana University of Lüneburg)

Leuphana small-scale research project to prepare a DFG proposal; scientific direction, together with Prof. Dr. Gerd Michelsen; duration: 2012–2013

Project „Analysis of student competence development: a contribution of higher education of sustainable development“ (funded by DAAD)

Cooperation project with RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; lead partner; duration: 2012–2013

Project „University Partnership for the Conservation of Biodiversity (HEB)“ (funded by DAAD)

Cooperation project with the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), Lima, Peru; lead partner; duration: 2011-2013

Project "Teaching and learning about sustainabililty " (funded by DAAD)

Cooperation project with the Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ibarra, Ecuador; lead partner; duration: 2009-2011

Project „BINK – Educational institutions and sustainable consumption“ (funded by BMBF)

Inter- and transdisciplinary collaborative project; duration: 2008–2011

Project "Sustainable University - Sustainable development in the context of university tasks"

Inter- and transdisciplinary research and development project; duration: 2004–2007

Project „Preparation of the Report of the Federal Government on Education for Sustainable Development 2005“

duration: 2005

Cooperation partners in Germany

  • Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde, Prof. Dr. Matthias Barth, Prof. Dr. Benjamin Nölting
  • Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Prof. Dr. Daniel Fischer
  • Universität Hildesheim, Prof. Dr. Jana Costa
  • Universität Regensburg, Prof. Dr. Mandy Singer-Brodowski
  • Martin Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Prof. Dr. Anne-Kathrin Lindau
  • Wissenschaftsladen Bonn, Norbert Steinhaus
  • IGS Oyten

International cooperation partners

  • Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia, Dr. Ruth Quiroz, Dr. Marisol Lopera
  • Universidad EAFTI, Colombia, Dr. Alejandro Álvarez-Vanegas
  • Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador, Dr. Patricia Aguirre
  • University of Limerick, Ireland, Prof. Dr. Ann MacPhail
  • Utrecht University, Netherlands, Prof. Dr. Jelle Boeve-de Pauw
  • Universität Klagenfurt, Austria, Prof. Dr. Franz Rauch, Dr. Helge Kminek
  • Universität Salzburg, Austria, Prof. Dr. Jan Habel
  • Masaryk University, Czech Republic, Prof. Dr. Jan Činčera
  • Karlstad University, Sweden, Prof. Dr. Daniel Olsson, Prof. Dr. Teresa Berglund
  • University of British Columbia, Canada, Prof. Dr. Robert VanWynsberghe
  • University of Gloucestershire, UK, Dr. Paul Vare
  • Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Austria, Prof. Dr. Christian Rammel

Scientific associations and memberships 

German Educational Reseach Association (GERA) (Division Intercultural and International Comparative Education), 2012-2017: Chairman of the Commission ‚Education for Sustainable Development’ and Member of the Board of the Division ‚Intercultural and International Comparative Education’, 2013-2015: Chairman of the Division ‚Intercultural and International Comparative Education', 2017-2018: Deputy Chairman of the Commission ‚Education for Sustainable Development’ and member of the board of the Division ‚Intercultural and International Comparative Education’

Representative of the German Educational Reseach Association (GERA) in the council of the European Educational Research Association (EERA) (since 2015)

Speaker of the German-speaking network "Teacher Education for Sustainable Development" (2017-2020)

Convenor of the network "Environmental and Sustainability Education" of the European Educational Research Association (EERA) (2016-2019)

German Society for Higher Education Development (dghd)

German Society for Human Ecology (DGH)

German Society for Sustainability at Universities (DG HochN)

Initiative 'Psychology in Environmental Protection' (IPU)

Working Group for Nature and Environmental Education (ANU)

23Degree – network of environmental and sustainability sciences

Scientific Advisory Boards

Member of the Sustainability Working Group of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) (since 2024)

Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the project "Standardised web-based benchmark system for sustainability assessment at universities. Practice-relevant indicators for sustainability re

Ongoing doctorates

  • Alejandro Velasco: „Supporting the implementation of the SDGs in developing countries through innovative models for the whole institution approach for ESD in Higher Education Institutions: Drivers and barriers for Colombia and Ecuador” (since 2021) (First supervisor)
  • Caroline Schmidt: „The interdisciplinary integration of Education for Sustainable Development in teacher education” (since 2022) (First supervisor)
  • Celine Ebeloe: „How students deal with climate anxiety" (since 2023) (First supervisor)
  • Esteban Andrés Gómez Sotta: “Education for Sustainable Development in Latin America. Similarities and differences in the study programs and competencies in the Business Schools of Latin America and Germany” (since 2019) (First supervisor)
  • Hannah Hoff: „Participation of young people in sustainable transformation processes in rural areas" (since 2022) (First supervisor)
  • Julia Günther: „Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as an Integral Component of Education - On the Perspective of Experts on the Understanding of ESD and its Goals“ (since 2020) (First supervisor)
  • Julio Estrada: „The University Campus as a Living Laboratory for Territorial Development. A Cross-case Analysis on Higher Education Institutions“ (since 2019) (First supervisor)
  • Lukas Scherak: „Importance and use of the method "AQAL Mapping" on pedagogical competence concepts in the context of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development)“ (since 2017) (First supervisor)
  • Marco Antonio Peralta: „Preservice teachers´ teaching competence: Do teacher education programs provide pre-service teachers with the appropriate training to integrate Education for Sustainable Development in their pedagogical practices?” (since 2019) (First supervisor)
  • Ninja Mueller: „Developing a Critical Ocean Pedagogy in Academic Marine Education Programmes" (since 2024) (First supervisor)
  • Senan Gardiner: „Pedagogies for resilience: An action-research case study in developing anticipatory competence for sustainability in teaching and learning in Higher Education“ (since 2013) (First supervisor)
  • Verena Sagante: "Immersive learning formats for imparting climate adaptation knowledge and promoting ESD-related competence development in the context of higher education" (since 2026) (First supervisor)


Completed doctorates