Pace University New York City Model UN students visiting the United Nations Headquarters at the 2018 National Model UN conference in New York.
Pace University New York City Model United Nations students made the campus proud this year at three conferences:
- Pace students received 8 awards at the 2017 National Model UN conference in Washington DC, placed them joint 4th out of 67 participating universities and higher education institutions from around the country and the world, in terms of total awards received. Read more here.
- Ten students participated in the Geneva International Model UN (GIMUN) conference at the UN Palais des Nations, home to the UN Office in Geneva, Switzerland. Read more here.
- Pace students took home 11 awards at the 2018 National Model UN conference in New York City, placing them fifth, in terms of awards received, out of the more than 100 higher education institutions participating in the NMUN NY Conference A, 18-22 March 2018. Read more here.
Nicolas Iniguez ’20 (left, front) representing the Republic of the Marshall Islands at the 2018 National Model UN conference in New York City.
Numerous Model UN students have reflected on their experiences in Model UN in blog posts on this website. Here are a few highlights:
On 2018 NMUN NY:
- “Sailing the Good Ship Model UN,” by Nicolas Iniguez ’20.
- “Enhancing Leadership Skills through a New Role,” by David Sharif ’19.
- “Taking Pacific Island States Seriously,” by Aleena Raza ’20.
- “Model UN Is Unlike Any Other Class,” by Carissa Veltri ’20.
- “I Was Excited to Share Our Weeks of Research,” by Aya Taqi ’22.
- “We Can Create Meaningful Solutions to the World’s Biggest Problems,” by Katherine Ketterer ’21.
- “Model UN Exceeded My Expectations,” by Natalia Villarreal ’21.
Pace University New York City students representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Namibia at the 2017 National Model UN conference in Washington DC.
On 2018 GIMUN:
- “Geneva Conference Gave Me Confidence to Follow My Career Path,” by Elizaveta “Lisa” Smirnova ’18.
- “A Unique Opportunity to Discuss International Policy,” by Alyssa Curran ’20.
- “GIMUN Was an Unforgettable Experience,” by Dorin Khoiee-Abbasi ’18.
- “Jet-Lagged and Motivated, Jolted with a New Drive,” by Seneca Forch ’20.
- “Learning to be an Ambassador,” by Mary-Lynn Hearn ’19.
Pace University NYC Model UN students Mary-Lynn Hearn ’19, Nigina Khaitova ’18 and Elizaveta “Lisa” Smirnova ’18 explore the city of Geneva before the 2018 Geneva International Model UN (GIMUN) conference in Switzerland. Photo courtesy of GIMUN.
Several past and present Model UN students were able to intern and volunteer with organizations working in and around UN headquarters in New York this year.
Students also learned about public and social service careers from guest speakers featured on a December 2018 panel co-organized with the Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship, MPA Student Association and Political Science Society. Panelists included Elena Marmo ’15 (former Head Delegate) of WaterAid, Chris Glancy ’14 of the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation and Greg Van Kirk of Ashoka.
Pace University NYC students show off their awards at the 2018 National Model UN conference in New York City.
The Pace NYC Model UN program was featured in a edited volume on disarmament education published by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, saying “[I]n Pace University’s experience…Model UN “is a powerful experience that many students report as life-changing, generating a long-term interest in global policy issues, including disarmament. Though few have grown up with direct exposure to political decision-making, they report feeling empowered by what they have learned.” Read more here.
The Model UN program is very grateful for the service and leadership of its Head Delegates. Two of them — Nigina Khaitova and Dorin Khoiee-Abbasi are graduating this May, and Megan Zubar transferred in December. We wish them luck for their upcoming endeavors! Joseph Colella ’19 and and Mary-Lynn Hearn ’19 will return for another year in 2018/2019, joined by two incoming Head Delegates: Seneca Forch ’20 and Katherine Ketterer ’21.
Dr. Emily Welty, Director of Peace and Justice Studies and Dr. Matthew Bolton, Model UN advisor and Director of the International Disarmament Institute at Pace University, attending the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Dr. Welty and Dr. Bolton, who are married, worked on the UN advocacy of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which received the prize for its advocacy for the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Pace NYC Model UN’s Faculty Adviser, Dr. Matthew Bolton was recognized for his contributions to multilateral diplomacy and global policymaking:
- He served on the NMUN DC Advisory Group.
- Along with Dr. Emily Welty (director of Peace and Justice Studies at Pace and his spouse), he was part of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN advocacy of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). He and Dr. Welty attended the ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
- He and Dr. Welty jointly received Honorary Doctorates in Humane Letters from Graceland University, the City of Independence (Missouri) Humanitarian Award and the Pi Gamma Mu Scholarship Medal in recognition of their work with ICAN.
- He was featured in the news media on issues relating to the UN and global politics in Newsweek, Reuters, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! News, Sacramento Bee, WAMC Radio, Just Security, Columbia Daily Tribune, Leicester Mercury, The Examiner (Independence, MO), Global News, and the Harvard Crimson.
The Model UN program also benefited from support from the New York City Political Science department, including the interim chair, Dr. Joseph Ryan. Dr. Aileen Cardona helped accompany the students to NMUN DC and Geneva; Dr. Kiku Huckle, helped with NMUN NY. Professor Paul Londrigan, Model UN Faculty Advisor on the Pleasantville campus was also a great supporter of the NYC program. The program would not be possible without the generous funding from Pace University’s Dyson College of Arts and Sciences.
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Located only two express subway stops from the iconic United Nations complex on the East River, Pace University’s New York City Model UN program has a 65-year history of excellence in regional, national and international conferences. Model UN at Pace is a class, uniquely integrated into the political science curriculum within the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and aims to encourage students to develop wisdom, knowledge, skills and community for global vocation and citizenship.
Pace’s involvement in Model UN is indicative of the university’s broader engagement with the UN. Notably, Pace students and faculty participated in the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning advocacy of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). In the last few years, students and faculty have also worked closely, particularly with civil society, in the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Commission on the Status of Women, Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, UN General Assembly First Committee, Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and Arms Trade Treaty. In 2016, Pace University was featured in a report by then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, recognizing its “growing role in disarmament education.”