"Rural Sustainability" Unit

The "Rural Sustainability" unit focuses on aspects of rural and sustainable development. Politically, rural development and sustainability are often interwoven and there is sometimes clear tension between the two depending on the matter. Conflicts and synergies are evident, for example, in the EU's agricultural policy, HELCOM's activities to protect the Baltic Sea, or the peatland protection strategies of individual German states.

Scientifically, these examples are related to different research areas and networks at the University of Greifswald. The research consortium "Think rural!", the Interdisciplinary Centre for Baltic Sea Region Research and the Greifswald Mire Centre are three examples. The research unit Rural Sustainability brings perspectives of political science to this research. 

At the IPK, the unit's focus is on teaching. Stefan Ewert teaches in all areas of political science on various topics linked to the fields of sustainability and rural development.