GU-Q student delegates take part in Model United Nations in Milan

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) students recently returned from Milan, Italy where they participated as delegates in the week-long Milan Model United Nations (MILMUN) conference. MILMUN’s tenth edition was held just after the opening of the Milan 2015 EXPO with the purpose of giving a chance to the university students to practice diplomacy by simulating the role of a diplomat or chairing one of the committees.

The MUN conference model is aimed at developing a set of skills, including the ability to speak confidently in public, negotiation skills to form alliances and furthering one’s country’s position and the drafting of diplomatic documents. The main outcome of the simulations at MILMUN was contained in the resolution that each committee will pass on the topics discussed throughout the week. The issues under discussion were the outcome of strenuous research and challenging negotiations in the conference sessions and the resolutions on the discussed topics will be sent to the respective United Nations and European Union’s organs to challenge them on taking innovative solutions toward some of the most urgent issues on the international agenda.

Speaking about her participation as a delegate at an international conference, GU-Q student, Nayab Rana said that the students were able to interact with an interesting group of people coming from diverse fields of study, ranging from economics, international relations and law to history, medicine and mathematics. “I was representing France in the Security Council and I was able to utilize many of the skills I had acquired during my first year of studies at GU-Q, such as negotiation with the other nations as well as formulation of valid arguments and debating those arguments effectively.”

GU-Q student, Eman Thowfeek, who was one of the award recipients at the MILMUN conference agreed and noted that it was a refreshing experience to have been able to take part as a conference delegate representing her University. “Winning the "Honorable Mention" award should be credited to Georgetown for instilling a passion for negotiation and debate in me," she commented.

This year represents a milestone both for the city of Milan, which from the beginning of the month of May started hosting the 2015 EXPO, and for the United Nations, which will have to analyze the current global situation with regard to the 2015 Millennium Development Goals and create a new agenda for the coming years. The conference organizers thought it necessary for MILMUN to take part in this special moment in time and closely collaborate with EXPO and the UN Rome-based agencies. With this objective in mind the conference organizers selected a theme for the conference titled “Changing course to feed the world”, in line with the message "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life" promoted by the EXPO which focuses on the major issues of exploitation of natural resources and the environmental challenges, food production and consumption.

“Participating as a delegate of Brazil in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to debate over topics such as soil degradation and food security, allowed me to gain valuable insight into these important global issues,” said GU-Q student, Hira Fatima, who won an “Honorable Mention” recognition in her committee.

Over the past ten years GU-Q has been organizing Model United Nations (MUN) conferences annually in Doha, Qatar. The student-organized forum has so far engaged 1,104 local students, 1,980 international students, 48 local schools, and 134 international schools. Earlier this year the Georgetown-hosted MUN welcomed participating high school students from 52 schools including 29 from Qatar.