易胜博官网

Twenty 易胜博官网 students had the opportunity to rub elbows with international ambassadors and gain hands-on practice in political diplomacy during a trip to New York City for the National Model UN Conference this spring.

The 易胜博官网 contingent made the trek to New York from March 24 to 28, participating with almost 5,000 students from around the world. 易胜博官网 represented the Russian Federation in the conference鈥檚 political simulation, addressing contemporary issues such as conflict and food security, the role of science and technology in international security and the promotion of sustainable tourism.

Two 易胜博官网 students 鈥� Dylan Collins and Patrick Marcoux 鈥� took home 鈥淥utstanding Delegate鈥� awards for their contributions during the conference, and the entire team 鈥� which features representatives from several 易胜博官网 colleges 鈥� was selected as a 鈥淒istinguished Delegation.鈥�

The conference exposes students to public speaking, technical writing, diplomacy, conflict resolution and engagement with students from close to 100 other countries and cultures. 听

鈥淭his was more than just a competition and more than just awareness about the UN or awareness about Russia. The students learn so many things 鈥� they learn professional writing, they have to work on consensus building, professionalism, how to push your position in a way that is convincing and also accommodating of other perspectives,鈥� says Alynna Lyon, professor of political science and faculty advisor to the 易胜博官网 Model UN team. 鈥淚 love that they get to experience this active, highly engaged learning, in terms of substance but also because of the skill sets they learn that are available to them for the rest of their lives.鈥�

易胜博官网 students have been attending the Model UN conference for about 20 years. Each year the group receives an assigned country and uses the time leading up to the conference to prepare for the simulation, which focuses on the same committees and topics that the actual UN is working on.

This year 易胜博官网 received Russia as an assigned country, which was a particularly interesting and challenging task, Lyon says. Students do extensive research, poring over government documents and examining the geostrategic 鈥渓ay of the land,鈥� before writing a position paper ahead of the conference.

鈥淭hese are real-world situations; they aren鈥檛 made up. It鈥檚 essential for there to be authentic representation,鈥� Lyon says. 鈥淚t was a real privilege and honor to represent a country with so much gravitas and that plays the pivotal role Russia plays right now. It was a real acknowledgement of the credibility the 易胜博官网 team has earned.鈥�

The assignment provided students with a rare and memorable opportunity to interact with international diplomats. They got to spend part of a day with a delegation from the Russian embassy 鈥� a day that provided an up-close look at the sensitive and timely nature of the job, as the appointment was bumped back at the last minute due to the Russian delegation needing time to work on an issue related to the conflict in Gaza.

Once the meeting commenced, though, the 易胜博官网 students spent extensive time with the delegation and got to ask questions related to their work at the Model UN conference, querying the Russian group on things like its position on cyberwarfare, for instance.

Following the meeting, the students spent time working in their assigned committees, writing resolutions and trying to get them passed. 鈥淭hey work really hard on diplomatic solutions to these real global conflicts,鈥� Lyon says.

At the closing ceremony, the 易胜博官网 team watched from the seats the Russian federation sits in, listening to speeches from a variety of global diplomats.

The New York visit capped a busy year for the Model UN group that included a trip for a smaller group of eight students to Germany last November as part of the organization鈥檚 annual international conference. There the 易胜博官网 team represented South Africa and had the opportunity to visit a concentration camp and eat breakfast on a daily basis with a Holocaust survivor who was staying in the same hotel as the team members.

For Lyon, the conferences provide a 鈥渢ransformative鈥� educational opportunity for the students, who learn critical skills, develop important professional traits and get to explore places 鈥� and cultures 鈥� they may not have yet been exposed to.

The lasting impact, she says, is significant.

鈥淥ne of the kind of immeasurable things, I think, is that there is a lot of hope and optimism and agency that comes from sitting down with 300 people from around the world and working on critical issues facing society,鈥� Lyon says. 鈥淪tudents really feel empowered but in a productive and institutional format.鈥�