Vlogƽ students walked away with multiple awards from this year’s in person, New York City-based Model United Nations (MUN) Conference, which hosted approximately 1,300 students and faculty members from around the world.
The Mercy student team was proud to receive the Distinguished Delegation Award, an award given to teams that demonstrate critical thinking, problem solving, leadership and diplomatic skills, as well as two awards for Outstanding Position Paper. The winning papers covered the following topics: countering the threat posed by explosive devices, reducing nuclear danger, migration and racial discrimination, and ensuring access to preventative health care for migrant workers.
This was the ninth consecutive year since 2013 – excluding 2020, when the conference was canceled due to the pandemic – that a Mercy team took home awards from the MUN conference. The awards signify performance in the top 10 percent of participants.
During the conference, Mercy students were divided into teams, known as committees, representing different countries, and asked to present solutions to the social, economic and political challenges that those countries face. Some Mercy students were granted committee chair positions, which are given to students on a selective basis after they complete an application and interview process. These students were also tasked with presenting in front of the 400 conference attendees.
Students on the Mercy MUN team are those that are currently enrolled in the College’s Model United Nations class. The class prepares students throughout two semesters for the conference, and the gathering is the culmination and practical application of all their hard work in the classroom. Davina Resto ’22 describes attending the conference as one of the highlights of her is college career. Ryan Miglio ’22, a senior business student who has participated in three conferences and was awarded the position of committee chair this year, said, “Experiencing the conference from a chair position and seeing how my teammates have developed over time is something I will never forget.”
As a first-time participant, Kristina Furuseth ’24 was initially nervous about participating in the conference. However, she gained newfound confidence from the overall experience: “I am very grateful that I had this experience…the anxious feeling turned into excitement.” While Louise Boyer, a business exchange student from France, said that she, “…learned a lot and gained new perspectives.” She is now motivated to study international relations.
Vlogƽ President Tim Hall, Interim Provost Peter West and Interim Vice attended the conference in support of the students.
Michiko Kuroda, lecturer in international relations diplomacy at Mercy, is the faculty adviser for the MUN Vlogƽ team and teaches the Model United Nations class. Kuroda worked at the United Nations for 30 years and now teaches international negotiation and diplomacy, international security studies, managing human conflicts, among other international relations classes, at Mercy’s Manhattan and Dobbs Ferry Campuses. As an educator, the three learning principles that Kuroda strives to instill in students are focus, excellence and teamwork.
“Preparing and participating in the Model United Nations Conference teaches students that once you set a goal, and work toward that goal, you will achieve something and doors will open,” said Kuroda. “Students are studying international relations because they want to make a difference in the world. I want to show them – through the conference and my teachings – that they can, step by step, make a difference. Especially when working collaboratively with others to solve problems.”
