Research Profile

A clear research profile is, along with the teaching profile, an important part of the European College of Human Ecology since research and teaching should be closely interlinked.

A European College of Human Ecology  should choose a location that allows the college to be - in teaching and research - thematically interconnected with the region regarding sustainable development. Especially the UNESCO biospheres are therefore offering outstanding connecting factors. But also the challenges of climate change and the, hence, necessary technologies, conduct, and attitudes, or the challenge of the conservation of the biological, cultural, and social diversity should not only represent connecting factors but even be developed as a special characteristic of the college.

The internationally recognized and significant research focus "Marine Studies" of the College of the Atlantic including its "Allied Whale Program" should serve here as a model.

The thematic foci of research at a College of Human Ecology continues in the long tradition of human ecology oriented research projects in Germany and Europe. They form, at the same time a distinct disciplinary core of human ecology.

Potential thematic foci of research at the European College of Human Ecology are:

• Problem and practice oriented development of strategies for an integrated city, region, and zone management
• Basic theoretical problems of the connection of evolution theory and social theory based concepts
• Linguistic topics
• Methodological procedures of participation and transdisciplinarity
• Interdisciplinary environmental research

 
Human ecology has a promoting and supporting function through:

• Interdisciplinary projects in research, teaching and non-academic practices
• The connection of theoretical models and schools of thought of the involved disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and engineering as well as their areas of practical application through bridging concepts
• The transdisciplinary dialogue
• Provision of an epistemological and philosophy of sciences based link of the disciplines and their areas of application which are involved in a problem context

Human ecology faces with this research approach also the challenges and design necessities of our own knowledge and information based communities and societies.

Research at a college of human ecology cannot abandon third-party funds and sponsorship. To succeed in that, strategies to acquire third-party funds must be an integrated part of the educational programs for the staff as well as for the students.