Professor of International Relations Michal Onderco at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, together with students from the Management of International Social Challenges (MISOC) programme, has nominated Khartoum Aid Kitchen for the Nobel Peace Prize. This was reported by Erasmus Magazine, which published an in-depth account of the educational project.
The nomination forms part of an educational approach that actively engages students with contemporary issues in international politics. As a Professor of International Relations, Onderco belongs to a limited group of academics who are formally entitled to submit nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Education and societal impact
Within the MISOC course, students were tasked with proposing and substantiating potential candidates based on predefined criteria, including contributions to positive peace, sustainability, and societal impact. Working in small groups, they drafted motivation letters, which form the basis of the official nomination letter submitted by Onderco to the Nobel Institute.
According to Erasmus Magazine, the decision to consider organisations rather than individuals was deliberate, aimed at minimising the risk of controversy and placing emphasis on collective, structural impact.
Why Khartoum Aid Kitchen
Following student presentations and a joint evaluation, Khartoum Aid Kitchen emerged as the highest-scoring candidate. The organisation originated as a grassroots initiative in response to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and now operates community kitchens in several regions of the country. It provides daily food assistance to tens of thousands of people and offers additional medical support.
Students highlighted that the organisation is firmly rooted in local solidarity while also likely to benefit from the international visibility that a Nobel Peace Prize nomination may bring.
Learning beyond the classroom
Through this educational approach, ESSB aims to demonstrate how academic knowledge, policy-making and societal engagement intersect. The project aligns with the faculty’s broader ambition to connect education with pressing global challenges and impactful real-world practice.
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Read the full article via Erasmus Magazine.
