活動レポート

岡山大学 Alumni（全学同窓会）
グローバル人材育成支援事業 グローバル人材自己啓発奨励金事業 体験レポート

岡山大学 農学部 総合農業科学科 2年
清宮琴々奈

 

National Model United Nations in New York, the USA 2025
（2025.04.06～04.10）

Introduction:

My adventure with Model United Nations began in my first year of University in MUN class conducted during the first semester. Thanks to my fellow classmates who participated together in JUEMUN, I started to be into MUN activities. I thought that the opportunity to participate in NMUN would be a great challenge for me to find self-growth. Furthermore, this bountiful experience of going out of my comfort zone had made me realize things that I was lacking.


Group photo with Okadai Students participated in NMUN

 

My Experience:

We participated in NMUN held in New York as a representative of Latvia in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) committee. The two agendas were; Enhancing Efforts to End Statelessness and Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence Against Refugees. Researching about these agendas had created a great insight of the position of Latvia particularly with the perspective of Russian aggression and resulting stateless individuals from Ukraine to Latvia.

Although this experience made me understand a lot about the global issue, it was also a great opportunity for personal development. I became aware of my own weakness in communication skills, especially in the global community.

  • Summarizing ideas clearly: I learned the importance of having a solid core idea before speaking. Delegates who wrote down and clearly explained their proposals often took the lead in creating working papers.
  • Being open to diverse perspectives: Engaging with delegates from various backgrounds reminded me to listen actively and be open to new ideas.
  • Showing appreciation and support: Receiving compliments from other delegates boosted my confidence. I realized the power of small acts of encouragement and hope to pass that on to others, whether in their performance or appearance.
  • Showing confidence: Even when uncertain, maintaining a confident demeanor helps build trust. This doesn’t mean pretending to know everything—but rather being open to collaboration in a positive, solution-oriented way.
  • Public speaking skills: I learned to use pauses effectively, incorporate gestures, and make speeches more engaging through metaphors, quotes, or even a few words in the language of the country I represented.

This kind of growth would have been difficult to achieve through MUN events in Japan. Interacting with diverse backgrounds made me realize and learn how to interact with others and be truly open to others. In Japan, I tend to fit in with those around me, making it difficult to speak up. But in New York, I experienced the freedom of expressing my own voice, and it left a lasting impression.


Having discussion with another delegate


Opening Ceremony


Sightseeing New York

 

Thoughts and Aspirations:

While taking on the roles of various countries in Model United Nations, I realized that global issues such as environmental problems and the refugee crisis are relevant to all nations, and that we can overcome them by helping one another. I also came to understand that each country has its own technologies and knowledge that can cover others’ weaknesses. These kinds of issues require effective discussions, like those held at the United Nations. However, in order for those discussions to be truly meaningful, it’s essential to first address challenges at the local level.

Through my experiences in MUN, I began to feel the importance not only of “dialogue,” but also of taking action on the ground. What especially caught my attention as a sustainable means of support was the approach of regional development through business.

Because business cannot succeed unless it meets local needs, I believe it enables support that leverages the unique characteristics and strengths of a region. To do that, it is vital not only to engage in theoretical discussions, but also to visit the field in person and face the issues together with the people directly involved. Therefore, I would like to gain more experience in creating business plans that tackle regional issues.

 

Conclusion:

NMUN was a transformative experience for me to learn and grow. It made me realize the importance of speaking up and collaborating with others to create a meaningful discussion with others.

There were a lot of struggles such as writing the position paper and communicating with other delegates. But thanks to my members and professors, I feel that I was able to grow both as a delegate and as a person.