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The University of Southampton
Interdisciplinary Research Excellence

Sustainability Science at Southampton

Integrating research excellence across the three pillars of sustainable development: ecology, economics and society.

The Sustainability Science at Southampton wesbite can be found at: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/sustainability_science

Sustainability Science at Southampton (SSS) is an internationally recognised centre of interdisciplinary research excellence advancing the understanding of complex socio-ecological systems, taking the lead in innovation for sustainability and making a significant contribution towards alleviating some of society's global dilemmas.

SSS is structured around a number of core themes that reflect excellence in research across the University, including:

1. Development and ecosystem services

2. Complex socio-ecological systems

3. Biodiversity and ecosystem services

4. Adapting to Climate Change

Environmental change is forcing urgent global reassessment of the way we live, how we consume our planet's resources, and how we best respond to threats posed by, for example, global warming, economic growth and demographic change.

In 2008, the University of Southampton responded to this challenge by launching the USRG Living with Environmental Change (LWEC). Since the inception of the group, members have initiated or helped to organise three international meetings: PAGES 'Regional integration of long term social and ecological records', WUN Workshop 'Ecosystems, complexity and people', and WUN Meeting 'Adapting to climate change' and has strengthened the multifarious 'environmental' research activities and expertise existing across the university. 

Many of the challenges facing the world demand interdisciplinary research leading to new trans-disciplinary improvements in simulations of alternative futures, linking complexity theory to socio-ecological systems, and policies for climate adaptation and regional development. Sustainability Science truly encapsulates the greatest set of challenges facing the world today.

Now named Sustainability Science at Southampton, the University is at the cutting-edge of this national and global agenda. SSS is committed to interdisciplinary research and has active researchers from across the University, including: Biological Sciences, Engineering and the Environment, Electronics and Computer Science, Geography, Management, Mathematics, Ocean and Earth Science, and Social Sciences.

There is now an educational module around this theme, there is a video at the link below where Dr Fraser Sturt describes what students will experience if they partake in the new module which is part of the Curriculum Innovation Programme: Living with Environmental Change Module. Further details of our Curriculum Innovation Programmes in sustainability science can be found on the SSS CIP webpages.

Co-Chairs of Sustainability Science at Southampton: Professor John Dearing, Dr Felix Eigenbrod, Dr James Dyke and Dr Emma Tompkins

Follow us on Twitter: @Sustainscience

Msc
MSc Sustainability
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