The Innovation Hub "Socio-Ecological Sustainability"

© Unsplash/Arnaud Mesureur

At the heart of the Alliance are eight Innovation Hubs, one at each of the partner universities. They act as engines for co-creation processes. They promote collaboration at all levels of education, research and innovation and support the involvement of civic engagement.

With its focus on sustainable development, the Innovation Hub of the University of Münster Socio-Ecological Sustainability is dedicated to one of the central challenges of our time, which requires comprehensive social change. Innovative strategies and ideas that enable societies to cope with the complex social and ecological challenges of the present are urgently needed. Interdisciplinary and, in particular, social science and humanities contributions to sustainability research and governance are equally urgently needed to address global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, energy transition, peace and democracy issues.

Analysing, discussing and responding to the diverse epistemological, organisational, cultural and political requirements for global solutions to current sustainability challenges is the goal of the Innovation Hub Münster. The Innovation Hub "Socio-ecological Sustainability" will make an important contribution to Ulysseus by developing innovative ideas and solutions for the pursuit of sustainable well-being in the regions and cities of Ulysseus.

Projects

A collaborative research centre (based at the The Center of Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research), Living Labs and start-up incubator programmes will foster both civic engagement and demand-driven innovation. Open Classes and a Teaching Innovation Lab will facilitate innovative research-based learning experiences that address the urgency of sustainability issues and contribute to intergenerational public discourse. Furthermore, the development of joint and double degrees as well as cotutelle procedures anchors the topics in the area of study and teaching at Münster University.