MPH MUN Team Arrives in China

Eighteen Manlius Pebble Hill School students landed in Beijing, China yesterday for the Harvard Model United Nations Conference being held March 16-19, 2017. Now in its eighth year, the event is overseen by Harvard University students and brings together more than 1,000 high school students from around the world to research and debate complex issues and develop viable solutions.

MPH team director, Dr. Jeffery Mangram, says their goal is to bring home the Best Delegation Award. The MPH Model UN team has excelled at past events, winning the Best Mid-Size Delegation in 2014 at the International Conference in London. They’ve also won awards in Canada, Russia, California, and across New York State. The trip to China will also give students a first-hand look at Chinese culture and the country’s growing impact on the world – and present some novel challenges.

The team is comprised of veteran MPHMUN members who are already planning careers in International Relations, along with new members who have shown exceptional promise. Second- year member and sophomore Charlie Mann expects a fierce competition. “We are being tested in a way that we haven’t been before, at least in my experience on the team,” he observes. “We are going to be competing in an area that’s completely out of our element where we don’t speak the language or know the culture and we’ll get to go against the top debaters in the world.”

Senior Annie Weiss sums up the team’s shared goal: “We want to be the best MUN team in North America.”

Model United Nations is a simulation of the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, which introduces students to diplomacy, negotiation, and decision making. At MUN conferences, students act as ambassadors of UN member countries and debate pressing global issues within specific committees. As conference delegates, they draft resolutions, plot strategies, negotiate with supporters and adversaries, and resolve conflicts while adhering to UN procedural policies. Topics may include cyber-security, world hunger, immigration, and environmental issues.

Follow the team on Twitter @mphworldhistory