Contact: 
Claire Miller, 404-413-8118
College of Education 

ATLANTA—Students from across Georgia will visit Georgia State University this week to experience what it’s like to work as a delegate at the United Nations.

The College of Education and the Department of Political Science will host the 16th annual Model United Nations Conference from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11 in the Georgia State Student Center. The event is open to the public to observe, but students had to register by October to participate.

High school students from across the state, as well as their teachers and advisors, will be participating in the two-day conference. Each school will represent one or more delegations from the U.N. and will be assigned to a committee to debate issues being discussed at the United Nations. The committees will also discuss issues such as human rights, environmental issues, piracy, economic development and globalization.

“Through our GSU Model United Nations conference, high school students learn about the United Nations and they develop important citizenship skills, such as negotiating with others, debating important topics and supporting arguments,” said Joseph Feinberg, a Georgia State assistant professor of middle-secondary education and a high school Model U.N. faculty advisor. “The conference provides a unique opportunity to actively engage participants in a real-world simulation of the United Nations, which ultimately makes them more prepared and informed about international politics and issues.”

As "delegates," high school students will make speeches, prepare draft resolutions, negotiate with allies and adversaries, resolve conflicts and navigate the Model U.N. conference rules of procedures. Prior to the conference, the high school students researched topics their committees will address and studied the policy and needs of their representative countries.

The Model U.N. helps extend what high school students learn in the classroom through a hands-on experience and gives them the opportunity to see international issues from outside the American perspective, Feinberg said.

Georgia State students and alumni, who will chair committees and help run the event, also benefit from the Model U.N. conference.

“The Model United Nations conference provides college students with the opportunity to reach out to younger generations while reinforcing the rules and procedure that they themselves utilize on the floor as delegates in their regional and national conferences,” said Ina Seferovic, a GSU student who will serve as this year’s Secretary General.

For more information about the Model U.N. Conference, visit www.gsumun.com.

Published Nov. 9, 2010