MacEwan University hosted the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference, where more than 300 students from around the world came together from November 23 to 29 to discuss timely national and international issues, primarily Indigenous Peoples’ rights and sustainability.

The NMUN is the world's largest, most prestigious and oldest ongoing university-level Model UN. The conference has previously been held in Italy, Japan, Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) and Germany and, this year, took place in Banff, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. 

“This is a global event and MacEwan had the opportunity to make itself known to the world as a unique undergraduate university focused on expanding knowledge of global affairs and providing innovative learning opportunities for our students,” says Dr. Chaldeans Mensah, associate professor of political science at MacEwan and a faculty advisor to the conference.

“I want to extend my gratitude to Dr. Mensah for his efforts to engage our students in areas of vital importance to many people around the world,” says Dr. Annette Trimbee, MacEwan University’s president and vice-chancellor. “I am particularly excited that they explored the sustainable use of the world’s oceans, a topic that is always top of mind for me as an aquatic biologist.”

“As the delegates proposed their own solutions to global issues, I hope they realized that diplomacy and compromise are difficult work,” says Michael Eaton, executive director of NMUN. “I also hope the world became a bit smaller for those attending. I am confident that everyone at the conference was overwhelmed by the genuine warmth of their Canadian hosts.” 

For Dr. Mensah, this represents a crowning achievement in his final academic year before retirement. Under his guidance, MacEwan students have attended the NMUN conferences for more than 20 years. In preparation for this year’s conference, he also worked closely with MacEwan’s Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre to help ensure Ukrainian delegates will also be able to participate.

“To see this happen in a year which is the 80th anniversary of the UN itself, when multilateralism is being questioned, it’s important for the next generation to participate in an activity like this,” says Dr. Mensah. “They got to play the role of future policy makers and it reinforces that the UN is indispensable for future generations. It is there because it belongs to all of us and students have to learn that there’s value in understanding how the UN works as a vehicle to resolve global problems.”

The conference was particularly a success for MacEwan students as they were recognized by the NMUN for a number of awards:

• Outstanding Delegation
• Outstanding Position Papers (Human Rights Council)
• Outstanding Delegates in Committee (Human Rights Council)