Competing against more than 30 colleges and universities while speaking the language of diplomacy, the Indiana University Model United Nations team earned several prestigious awards at the recent Southern Regional Model UN conference. It is the latest indication of the surge in size and prominence of the Model UN program on the Bloomington campus.

Model UN is a high school and collegiate activity that mimics the United Nations. Teams of students represent nations around the world as delegates to UN committees. They caucus, hold formal debates, negotiate agreements and then select the most effective delegates.

On that score, IU excelled at the conference in early April in Charlotte, North Carolina where the theme was "Ensuring Peace and Security in a Turbulent Global Environment: Fostering Prosperity and Forward Movement." IU International Court of Justice Delegate RashmikaNegundadi won an individual award and the IU delegations representing the nations of Norway, Oman and Japan were honored as well. Forty-three IU students traveled to the conference, led by IU Model UN coach Susan Siena.

“I’m so proud of our students and what their performance in Charlotte says about the growth of Model UN at IU,” Siena said. “This is a program that gives students a chance to discuss pressing global issues as they gain critical career-building skills in teamwork, negotiating and public speaking. When you do well, as our team discovered, it can also be a whole lot of fun.”

The Hoosier team is sponsored by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) in Bloomington where Siena is a faculty member and by the IUB Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

“The students on our Model UN team represent many disciplines across campus and a rigorous undergraduate career,” said Dennis Groth, interim vice provost for undergraduate education. “They are building skills in diplomacy and an understanding of international issues facing our world today. These experiences will prepare them to solve global problems as IU alumni, and we celebrate their endeavors toward leadership and constructive solutions.”

While the intercollegiate conferences are the cornerstone of Model UN at IU, the program is also expanding in other ways. The group hosts a summer camp on the Bloomington campus that’s now in its second year and has attracted high school Model UN competitors from around the world.

About Model UN

Model UN (http://www.indiana.edu/~mun/home.php)
Southern Regional Model UN Conference http://www.srmun.org/charlotte/.

About the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

The Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at Indiana University Bloomington leads campus-wide programs and initiatives to create outstanding academic experiences for all undergraduates. The office also supports activities that promote innovation and enrichment in the curriculum. More information http://www.indiana.edu/~vpue/.