Jutta Deffner

The Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE) is a leading institute for sustainability research. We develop scientific foundations and forward-thinking concepts for social-ecological transformations – on regional, national, and international levels. Together with our partners in science and society, we create spaces for transformations toward sustainability. With our transdisciplinary research, we show how current challenges in specific contexts can be shaped sustainably and fairly and how conflicts can be dealt with constructively. We explore transformations towards sustainability, in which people participate with all their diversity, in which conflicts are negotiated constructively and in which society and nature can flourish together. We investigate the complex interactions between people, society and nature to understand how transformation processes unfold, are enabled or blocked, and how they can be shaped towards sustainability. We combine approaches and understandings developed by the natural and social sciences, engineering, and humanities as well as between science and society in order to jointly gain new, critically reflected insights and unfold innovative sustainability pathways. We develop systemic solutions that address the complexity of current challenges. In doing so, we consider societal, economic, political, technological and ecological aspects, as well as potential risks, trade-offs and synergies between sustainability goals. We contribute our scientific expertise to current societal and political debates and work closely with actors from civil society, administration and business. We also teach at Universities to help build younger generations’ knowledge and enhance their competencies for change agency in science and society. We create and shape spaces for fundamental change in society and science where transformations towards sustainability can be explored and reflected upon, and where social learning becomes possible.