Members of Missouri State University’s Model United Nations (Model UN) attended the 2024 joint Arkansas Collegiate Model United Nations (ACMUN) / Oklahoma Model United Nations (OKMUN) Conference Nov. 2.

Over 20 MSU students served as Model UN delegates in the following councils: United Nations General Assembly First Committee (GA1), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Council of the Arab League (AL).

The conference, hosted by Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, promotes collaborative learning and research in pursuit of solving prominent international issues such as cybersecurity and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, said Dr. Ashley Leinweber.

Leinweber is the Model UN faculty advisor and is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Philosophy at Missouri State.

In addition to serving as faculty advisor since 2013, Leinweber helped form MSU’s current Model UN chapter. A previous organization, the World Affairs Council (WAC), was disbanded around 2010, Leinweber said.

First competition of the season a big success

This was the first Model UN competition for the MSU team this academic year, Leinweber said. It was also the first time MSU had attended the ACMUN/OKMUN conference.

“We were unsure what to expect,” Leinweber added. “The fact that two of our students won awards was very impressive.” Typically, the teams participates in 1-3 competitions a year.

“We always attend the four-day Midwest Model United Nations conference in St. Louis in February,” Leinweber said. “We are hoping to raise enough funds one day to attend other conferences, especially the National Model United Nations held at the UN Headquarters in New York.”

Meanwhile, for the past two years MSU has hosted the Great Plains Model Arab League conference and will host it again in April 2025.

Hardwick and Monnig win accolades for their work

Model UN members Abigail Hardwick and Tad Monnig each won recognition during the conference for their efforts as UN delegates.

Hardwick was awarded Outstanding Delegate in UNAIDS for her work as a delegate for New Zealand.

Monnig received an Honorable Mention for Outstanding Delegate in UNAIDS for his work as a delegate for the Dominican Republic.

Awards are given by fellow committee members, Hardwick explained.

“To be chosen as best delegate made me feel so honored,” she said. “I always do my best to represent my country and collaborate with my fellow delegates, so to hear that I won made me so delighted in my own work and excited to represent MSU.”

Hardwick, a senior anthropology major who is also pursuing an accelerated Master of International Affairs degree, is in her second year with Model UN. She currently serves as the club’s secretary.

As a member of the UNAIDS committee, Hardwick’s goal was to pass resolutions about corporate accountability in AIDS prevention and to end HIV/AIDS by 2030.

Monnig, a second-year graduate student in the Master of International Affairs program, has been involved with Model UN for four years and currently serves as the club’s president.

Like Hardwick, Monnig was also part of the UNAIDS committee. His role was to work with other representatives to solve issues such as medication accessibility, early testing and safe-sex education, he said.

Monnig said he felt “incredibly happy” with his win, especially since this is his last year in Model UN.

Model UN excellent path to career goals

Model UN is open to any MSU student, Leinweber said. The group meets once a week for an hour.

“At meetings we learn about the United Nations [and] prepare for representing different world countries as diplomats tackling real world problems,” Leinweber said.

Hardwick said her passion for international affairs and desire to work as a foreign officer led her to Model UN.

“I was interested in joining the Model UN since I learned about the United Nations and their mission for cooperation across the globe,” Hardwick explained. “I also want to be a foreign service officer, and learning about how the UN works and about international politics furthers my knowledge about my future career.”

Monnig first grew interested in Model UN because his fellow political science students were all attending the meetings.

“Once I joined, I realized it was such a fun and collaborative experience, so I stayed,” he said. “I feel Model UN is helping me engage in my career goals by allowing me to collaborate on and research international issues, which I hope to do in the future.”

Gaining experience while making friends

Both Monnig and Hardwick would recommend Model UN to all students.

“[It] is an incredibly great opportunity to travel around the United States, research different cultures [and] political environments, engage in collaboration, and grow your public speaking skills,” Monnig said.

Hardwick agreed, adding that Model UN also gives students opportunities to make friends.

“I would highly recommend students get involved…because it furthers your understanding of public affairs,” Hardwick said. “However, we are also a social club, so I’ve gotten extremely close with those in the club, and they’ve become some of my best friends on campus.”

Learn more about the Master of International Affairs program

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Photos provided by Ashley Leinweber.