The Human Factor in Humanitarian Operations: An Interdisciplinary Approach

On Wednesday, April 9th, 2025 Prof. Dr. Mojtaba Salem will hold his inaugural. The lecture is open to the public. After the lecture there will be a buffet and drinks. 

While attendance is free of charge, we only have limited seats available. Please register ahead of time and consider this carefully because we are booking a caterer for this event.

• Registration mandatory, please register by using this link Register now
• Reception after lecture
• Venue: KLU Forum / Foyer

By registering, you agree to the use of the images/videos taken during the event for KLU communications and marketing purposes. You can contradict this at any time. Please send a mail topress@klu.org.

The Human Factor in Humanitarian Operations: An Interdisciplinary Approach

In 2024, approximately 300 million individuals worldwide required humanitarian aid due to conflicts, climate-related emergencies, and other drivers. The number of forcibly displaced people globally has reached unprecedented levels. Over the past decade, academic research has underscored the pivotal role of supply chains in addressing humanitarian needs by delivering aid to the most vulnerable populations. Crucially, the increasing frequency of disasters and geopolitical shifts, such as the recent shutdown of USAID, the largest humanitarian donor agency, have significantly strained humanitarian operations. This raises a critical question for humanitarian organizations: How can aid delivery be made more efficient and effective?

My lecture will explore the role of the human factor—namely, individual humanitarian practitioners at the forefront of aid delivery— on humanitarian operations. I will present findings from different research projects conducted in collaboration with humanitarian partners at the Center of Humanitarian Logistics and Regional Development (CHORD). By drawing on different research streams and theories and collecting interview and survey data from practitioners, these research projects highlight that the behaviors, feelings, and soft-skill training of humanitarian practitioners are influential for running more effective and efficient humanitarian operations.
 

Professor Dr. Mojtaba Salem is an Assistant Professor in Humanitarian Operations and Management Practice at Kühne Logistics University (KLU), where he co-manages the Center for Humanitarian Logistics and Regional Development (CHORD) with Professor Dr. Maria Besiou. Previously, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the Technical University of Munich and KLU. His research explores how organizational behavior impacts aid delivery in humanitarian settings, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. He has published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Organizational Psychology Review, and Production and Operations Management. Professor Salem collaborates with practitioners to influence global humanitarian supply chain policies through evidence-based solutions. He publishes the annual CHORD global survey report and has worked on projects funded by the European Union and USAID/BHA.