Personal Statements

I had the pleasure of being part of the first delegation of Model United Nations at the University of Erfurt, which started out as a student initiative. We ended up representing the Central African Republic and São Tomé und Príncipe at NMUN-NY 2004. And yes, we also didn͛t know at first where to look for them on the map ... For me, it was the beginning of a longer journey of personal growth and of falling in love with Model UN as a method of learning and teaching about international relations. After having been a delegate in 2003/2004, I wanted to ͚give back͛ to the project in Erfurt and served as head delegate in 2005/2006. Based on these great years, I joined the staff of NMUN-NY, on which I served for seven years. During these many years, Model UN allowed me not only to organize Model UN conference in various countries, to work with people from different countries and different cultures and to build friendships around the globe. The great things at Model UN as a way of learning is that, no matter how long you͛ve done it, every year there are new motivated people, new countries to learn about, new events to organize and new experiences to make, which allow you to learn about yourself – as a student, as an organizer, as a teacher. And this, in a nutshell, makes Model UN so special. The history of Model UN in Erfurt, now in its second decade, and the enthusiasm of the students and organizers is testament to this all of this and something that we - as MUN-EF alumni – and the university can be proud of.

MUN is not just about getting inside international policy and learning how to behave diplomatically but most of all about improving your English and your skills. By the way you can be sure to find lots of new friends from the MUN-family. I was part of the 2012 delegation and represented Chile in the General Assembly 2nd committee. Afterwards I was a member of the organizing team 2013 which was a truly enriching experience. All in all MUN was a lot of fun and helped me to become more self-confident, to learn how to work effectively on compromises and how to speak freely and confident in front of at least 400 people. With MUN you develop significantly as a person. Therefore I recommend MUN to everyone who wants to experience something really special and who has the courage to learn something completely new. It is a lot of work but it’s worth it so much. By the way the trip to Washington D.C. and New York was one of my best journeys so far. And after you have been a participant at NMUN, organizing the next MUN-seminar is the best way to share your knowledge and experiences. 

"MUN was a great opportunity for me. I think during the first simulation I was really shy and didn’t speak too much and my language skills also were kind of bad. But during the sessions and each simulation I got more self-confident and easy-going. It was also a great success for me, that I won a Position Paper Award at the NMUN simulation in New York. Therefore I decided to participate in the Orga Team the following year which was also a very unique experience. To see a group of strangers becoming friends, was amazing. 
My MUN highlights are the meetings in the State Department in Washington D.C. because for me it was really interesting to hear from those young people, who are already working in the UN. Another highlight was definitely seeing Ban-Ki Moon during the Closing Ceremony and listening to his remarkable speech. 
With my participation in the MUN program I learned a lot about International Politics and I improved my intercultural and language skills. Moreover, which is most important, I learned about myself. Without question the Model United Nations Stufu was the best course I took in university!"

Having participated in MUN is clearly one of the most enriching experiences of my undergraduate studies at the University of Erfurt which than shaped my academic and professional career. As a member of the 2013 delegation I represented Pakistan in the Security Council. The country assignment raised my interest in the area geographically, culturally, and politically. In this sense MUN was a door opener for my Masters in International Peace and Security at King´s College London but also for my current job. Being fully aware that Model UN is a simulation and not reality, however, it provides its participants with important skills that are urgently needed when people come together to find solutions for the challenges that societies have to cope with. These are the skills that are needed in real life which eventually enable you to make a difference and change the world for the better.

"NMUN was a unique experience. Not because it was ought to, since our delegation flew all over the Atlantic Ocean to attend the biggest Model United Nations conference there is. Not because everyone was adequately dressed in business attire and behaved professionally as if we all were in the shoes of real diplomats. 
It was because of the overall enriching experience. The informal talks after each session that yielded opportunities to get in touch with people from other cultural backgrounds, while never letting our common goal of creating worthy resolutions on urgent international topics out of sight. It was also great to see our days of effort finally bore fruit in form of a resolution, that was adopted in the UN General Assembly Hall, which we first stepped into for the closing ceremony.
Together with the preparational trip to DC, where we had the chance to visit institutions such as the World Bank, US State Department and several Embassies, we got more than a glimpse into international relations and politics."

"Being a delegate at NMUN 2015 has been a thoroughly enriching experience. I represented Egypt in the General Assembly II and I can only recommend it – regardless of whether you want to work in the political field or not. There is no better opportunity to improve your language and rhetorical skills, and to learn how to find a compromise that combines several different approaches. Moreover, you get a real inside view into the working methods of the United Nations and you meet so many people from all over the world. Even Ban Ki Moon stopped by briefly during the Closing Ceremony at the UN Headquarters and honored us with an impressive speech. Who else can say to have met the General Secretary in person?"

"Signing up for MUN I was a bit unsure what MUN can teach me or what my experience was going to be like. Having participated I know it exceeded all my expectations easily. Gathering all the courage you have in your body to speak in front of a huge crowd with people from all around the globe, you don't only learn to trust in your abilities, but you also learn a lot about yourself. But besides making this great step in character constitution you make a ton of friends"