Sustainability and Postcolonial Studies. Gender, Nature and History

The critical-analytical study programme focuses on the ideas, discourses and practices surrounding 'sustainability', which refers to the protection of our world's resources in order to ensure a liveable planet for future generations. In doing so, it sheds light on postcolonial perspectives and, consequently, global inequalities. Students will explore the historical and societal origins and negotiations of current sustainability concepts, strategies and practices.  

By jointly examining assumptions and universalisms relating to sustainability, the programme aims to contribute to constructive debates on the future-oriented development of sustainability concepts, strategies and practices.

Our profile is unique within the German higher education sector: we combine sustainability with postcolonial perspectives, emphasising the dimensions of gender, nature and history from historical and contemporary analytical perspective.

• Critical-analytical understanding of sustainability: The programme encourages critical engagement with assumptions and universalisms about sustainability and critically reflects on previous implementations of sustainability.
• Dialogue-based study: During the programme, students work together to develop creative potential for the necessary reflection and constructive further development of sustainability concepts and practices.
• Postcolonial perspectives: The global context of the emergence and implementation of sustainability is reflected upon, and dialogue with lesser-known ideas and strategies for sustainability from the Global South is facilitated.
• Thematic focus on gender, nature and history: Joint exploration of the historical origins and societal negotiations of key aspects of sustainability while focussing on questions of power, inequality and marginalisation.

The programme opens up numerous career paths and qualifies graduates for roles in national and international organisations, research institutes, public administrations and ministries, development agencies, political education, consulting and corporate environments.

The programme enables students to critically reflect on and analyse sustainability, sustainability concepts and practices, and to design, advise on, evaluate and implement innovative sustainability strategies in the private and public sectors.

In the project module, students plan and implement their own empirical project on a topic of their choice, working independently and in interdisciplinary teams.

• Students explore complex questions relating to sustainability and reflect upon, present and critically discuss the results jointly.
• The aim is to develop practical skills for the constructive further development of sustainability concepts and practices.

To gain international experience, students can flexibly integrate a semester abroad into the programme. The faculty has international partnerships with universities in Africa, South America, Europe, Asia and North America to facilitate this.

• 1st semester: Two introductory modules on critical sustainability and postcolonial studies provide the theoretical basis for subsequent studies. Students are also introduced to academic standards and writing, preparing them for term papers and their final thesis.
• 2nd–3rd semesters: Three subject-specific modules enable students to tailor a personalised study programme from a wide range of courses offered by the disciplines of history, sociology and political science. The project module introduces various research methods and enables students to conduct their own research project on a chosen topic.
• 4th semester: Writing of the master’s degree dissertation

Teaching in small groups enables intensive discussion, individual feedback and close supervision. A structured overview (workload/ECTS) can be found under programme structure.