G Model UN
Hosting the Model UN Conference On the 5th and 6th of October 2019, over 200 students from across Scotland and England attended the first ever Model United Nations Conference at St George’s. The Model UN club has been running at St George’s since 2006 and it was with confidence, and a little bit of trepidation, that the students of Upper 6 decided that they should put their experience and expertise to the test by organising an event that would be politically challenging, but also engaging and fun. A number of students from Upper 6 volunteered to chair committees under the considered direction of the club’s Secretaries-General Louisa and Clara, and by the deputy Secretaries-General Isla and Yumi. The Committee Chairs had decided on the debate topics and wrote research briefs in order to prepare the participating students. They were able to blend an important academic ethos and a sense of fun during all the debates, which created a superb environment to discuss international relations. It is a testament to their meticulous preparation that every Committee – from
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the Security Council to the World Health Organisation – had rigorous and enthusiastic debates. Students in six Committees debated with vivacity across two days about such important international issues as the situation in Syria, maternal mental health and single-use plastics. Over 30 countries were represented in each committee, which allowed for diverse views on every topic that were not easily reconciled. Each student had to develop resolutions that helped to develop their negotiating skills and created camaraderie among the delegates. Students represented their countries with conviction, and the level of political discussion was impressive to behold. The Conference benefited from the expertise of three visiting academics on the first day: Prof. Beatrice Heuser, Chair of International Relations from Glasgow University; Prof. Jill Stavert, Professor of Law at Napier University; and Dr. Oliver Turner, Lecturer in International Relations at Edinburgh University. These visiting speakers were able to develop the students’
