Sergio and I after Day 2 of the Conference

Author: Abigail Lindsey | Majors: Political Science & Economics | Semester: Fall 2022

My name is Abigail Lindsey, and I am a Senior at the University of Arkansas studying political science, economics, and legal studies. This past week, I travelled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the National Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference alongside twenty other U of A students. My partner, Sergio Lopez, and I represented China in a simulation of the United Nations’ First General Assembly Committee. At the conference, we collaborated with over one hundred students from across the world to address topics like biological and chemical weapons, disarmament, and international development. The goal of the committee was to come together, write, and vote upon draft resolutions for these topics.

Preparation for the NMUN Conference began in April with extensive research about China’s stance on economic, social, and political issues. As a political science and economics major, this was an interesting and enjoyable challenge – I could not simply utilize articles and notes that commonly circulate from the United States about China. Instead, I dove deep into primary sources like press conferences and speeches in order to actually embody the nation’s ideas. I learned so much about issues effecting countries across the world that I would not have been exposed to without taking Model UN with Dr. Robert Stapp. Due to the nature of this research, I was also exposed to the inner workings of the United Nations – what the organization can and cannot do, how it funds projects and initiatives, and how it issues regulations. It made me realize just how complicated diplomacy can be, but also how valuable multilateral agreements are. After my research, Sergio and I wrote position papers on our assigned topics that would be submitted to the conference, and we also practiced dozens of speeches, as well as UN Rules of Procedure.

When we arrived at the conference, our first job was to network with other delegates in the First General Assembly Committee. Networking is an activity that I would normally try to avoid, but our entire performance at the conference depended on our ability to meet and form relationships with the other students. This personal challenge was extremely helpful to my professional development, as I now feel much more comfortable with meeting new people in this type of situations. Another aspect of the conference involved making speeches—another fear of mine. Public speaking in a professional setting has never been my strong suit, but due to months of preparation and practice, I was able to make successful speeches throughout the conference and feel confident while doing so.

At the end of the conference, the draft resolution that I helped author passed in the committee, which was a great achievement. The position paper that Sergio and I wrote received an Outstanding Position Paper award, and we also won an Outstanding Delegate Award within our committee, which is awarded based off of peer votes. These two accomplishments were an amazing way to witness our hard work being paid off, as they suggest that our researching, writing, and networking abilities have significantly improved. As a whole, our group from the University of Arkansas received an Outstanding Delegation Award, which is the highest honor at the conference.

I would highly recommend taking Model UN at the University of Arkansas to any student. While it is hard work, it has given me so many new skills and has contributed to my professional development in such a dynamic way. I was also able to make connections with students from diverse backgrounds and share new ideas with people from across the world. I will take my NMUN experience with me throughout my future career development.