News 2023: Model United Nations wins three awards in Germany

Two UMassD student groups won awards in the group's first international competition

Following up on an Outstanding Delegation award in New York in the spring, UMassD's Model United Nations team sent 8 students in 2 groups to Erfurt, Germany, for their first international Model U.N. competition, coming home with an Honorable Delegation award and an Outstanding Position Paper award.

"I'm immensely proud of all the work we put in to coordinate this trip and succeed at this competition," said Daniel Flores '25, a political science major and Model U.N. co-president. "This was bigger, and more challenging than the other conferences we've attended in the past, and it was an amazing experience to present our research in a foreign country to international students. The trip went smoothly, and everyone had a great time."

"I'm immensely proud of all the work we put in to coordinate this trip and succeed at this competition. This was bigger, and more challenging than the other conferences we've attended in the past, and it was an amazing experience to present our research in a foreign country to international students."

UMassD's Model U.N. E-Board and new members were in Washington D.C. the week before this trip, where they won a Distinguished Delegation Award for representing Liechtenstein.

For the Germany convention, 8 students flew together from Boston to Berlin, taking a high-speed train to Erfurt for the week-long competition. On their way back for their return flight, students explored Germany's capital city, remarking how sobering WWII and Cold War era monuments are in person.

"This was our first time leaving the country for a Model U.N. competition, so to walk away winning awards in back-to-back conferences is amazing," said Nicole Kach '24, a political science major and Model U.N. co-president. "This really speaks to the intensity and tenacity of our Model U.N. team."

Six UMassD students represented Finland, writing a paper on a broad group of topics covering climate change, peace and stability in conflict zones, food security, human rights, and more, which won an Honorable Delegation award.

Kach and Gent Haviari '25 separately represented Uganda, writing about the implementation of the United Nations' Convention Against Corruption and the implementation of science, technology, and innovation for sustainable development, which won both an Honorable Delegation and an Outstanding Position Paper award.

"My favorite part was just seeing everyone authentically enjoying the experience and what a wonderful experience it was," said Kach. "This was my favorite Model U.N. conference I've been to because everyone really seemed to appreciate the work we were doing. Going overseas really pushed and challenged our delegates to be the best versions of themselves."

"I'm a big proponent of students joining extracurriculars in college to make sure they know exactly what they want to do," said Flores. "I think Model U.N. has done just that for me. I entered the university with no specific desire for what I wanted to accomplish in undergrad, but Model U.N. helped me realize my passion for international relations and put me in a place where I can make connections with people across the world interested in or already working in a similar field."

The Model U.N. team's trip to Washington D.C. was covered by their Student Activities account from the Student Government Association. To head to Germany, the team recruited fundraising from Student Affairs, the Provost's Office, the Honors College, College of Arts & Sciences, College of Engineering, and the Political Science department, as well as donations from students' families and participating students.

What's next?

UMassD's Model U.N. team will travel back to New York City at the end of March 2024 to represent Croatia.

Join Model U.N.

The Model U.N. club and its leadership positions are open to both undergraduate and graduate students of all majors and programs. Students interested in joining UMassD's Model U.N. club can reach out to modelunumassd@gmail.com to register.

"We have a group of dedicated and devoted members who put their heart and soul into this," said Kach. "We're a growing group and we're always looking for more people who might be interested in joining."

Interested students can also follow the Model U.N. group on Instagram, join their Discord, and read more on MyOrgs. The Model U.N. club's faculty advisor, Peter Sandby-Thomas, associate teaching professor of political science, teaches a Model U.N. class (PSC 284) every fall semester.

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