Special Topics: Model UN

This course is a practical exercise in critical thinking and analysis, public speaking, and intercultural negotiation and consensus building within the context of international politics and international organizations. Students will represent, support, and defend a selected country?s national interests at the United Nations. Students will learn how and be trained to speak clearly and convincingly on selected policy areas, know and use the technical language of the UN. Skill building exercises in consensus building, negotiations and communications will complement the public speaking activities as will writing assignments on how to develop talking points, policy position papers and draft UN resolutions in order to master style, form and substance of typical diplomatic and UN documents. The students will exercise and develop learning in a close to real-world organizational setting that brings together actors from all over the world. Students will represent a specific country, as a member of the UN in a Model UN conference simulation, the dates of which will be communicated. The policy areas will relate to UN committee work and topics chosen by the organizers.

Costs to participate at the mandatory Model UN conference will be covered by the student.