prof.dr. M (Michal) Onderco

Biography

Michal Onderco is Full Professor of International Relations in the Department of Public Administration and Sociology at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

As a scholar of international security, his work examines how states, institutions, and societies navigate the evolving landscape of global security governance. His research is organized around three main lines of inquiry.

Nuclear governance, nonproliferation, and deterrence
A central focus of his scholarship is the evolution and contestation of the global nuclear order. He has written extensively on the politics of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), nuclear sharing in Europe, the dynamics of treaty negotiations, and the behavior of both established and emerging powers within nuclear institutions. His recent work also explores how geopolitical shocks—such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—reshape national strategies and public attitudes toward deterrence, nuclear risk, and disarmament.

Domestic foundations of foreign and security policy
The second research pillar investigates how public opinion, ideology, businesses, political parties, and elite preferences shape states’ security and foreign policies. Using cross-national surveys, experiments, and elite studies, he analyzes societal views on nuclear weapons, sanctions, and the use of military force. This work highlights the complex interplay between public attitudes, partisan politics, and policy outcomes, including gaps between public and elite preferences in areas such as nuclear disarmament and coercive diplomacy.  Emerging technologies and the changing global security environment
A third line of research examines how new technologies—especially military artificial intelligence—interact with broader shifts in global order and strategic competition. His work analyzes how states position themselves within emerging governance frameworks, how technological change alters patterns of cooperation and rivalry, and how alliances and institutions adapt to new security domains.

Before coming to Erasmus University, he obtained his PhD in political science from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 2014. In the past, he held visiting positions at the European University Institute, Stanford University, Columbia University, and Waseda University.