Nicolai von Hoyningen-Huene (29) from Hamburg completed his diploma in Public Management and Governance as well as in Political Sciences with focus on international relations at the University Potsdam and the Duke University in the USA. During his studies he completed internships in the field of international relationships in Berlin, London, Washington D.C. and New York. After finishing his studies he worked in the private sector for three years. During his Mercator year his research lay in the field of disarmament and arms control. He especially focused on strategies for controlling and reducing small arms and light weapons in Southern Sudan. Since 2013 he works as a JPO in Sudan.