The Art of Consensus

School and university students from across Russia came to HSE University to take on the roles of representatives of various countries and international organisations. Over the course of several days, they participated in debates, striving to reach mutual understanding with other delegations and to find solutions to global issues.

This year, HSE’s sixth Model UN, HSEMUN-25, was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The diplomatic simulation brought together more than 300 participants at the university, including senior school pupils and students from universities all over the country.

During the simulation, participants recreated the work of UN bodies as delegates representing different countries. Each delegate was tasked with studying the position of their assigned country and defending its interests in debates. For several days, the participants discussed their committee's agenda, tackling pressing social, economic, political, or environmental issues.

The concept of model simulations was first developed in the United States to train future senators. Since 1921, students have simulated the work of the League of Nations, and since 1945, that of the United Nations. Today, Model UN conferences are held across the US, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. This year marked HSE’s sixth such model.

At HSE, the simulation is open to both undergraduate and master’s students as well as senior school pupils. To take part, applicants must visit the model's official page, submit an application form, and pass an interview with an expert. At the end of the debates, resolutions are drafted, and the most outstanding participants receive awards. Prizes are given for precise wording, well-constructed questions and powerful speeches.

A First Step into Diplomacy

This year, the HSE model was prepared by a team of 60 people, said Polina Baratova, Secretary General of HSEMUN-25 and third-year student of the Bachelor’s programme in International Relations. Events of this scale require meticulous planning of every aspect—from delegate merchandise packages to agendas and topic selection—so the preparations took nearly a year.

‘Our aim was to capture the attention of every school pupil and student interested in international relations. We wanted everyone to find something for themselves in our model,’ she shared.

‘Taking part in a model like this can be a great stepping stone for those planning a career in diplomacy,’ noted Liliya Romadan, Second Secretary of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Chair of the Council of Young Diplomats.

Speaking Skills

HSEMUN-25 featured ten UN committees. Throughout the week, participants debated challenging topics, sought compromises, and drafted resolutions.

Debates in five of the committees were conducted in English, Spanish, French, and Chinese.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) operated in Chinese. For students of Chinese Studies, the event was a chance to ‘kill two birds with one stone,’ remarked Milana Gaskarova, a fourth-year student in HSE’s Asian and African Studies programme.

The agenda of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) focused on providing aid to Palestinian refugees. However, the delegates reached a resolution well ahead of the deadline. Rather than waste time, they turned their attention to the plight of Yemeni refugees. As a result, they agreed on the establishment of a special mission to investigate crimes against Yemeni refugees and to strengthen border controls in Gulf countries.

‘The presidium did a great job balancing the rigour of the model with an element of fun,’ shared Ghassan Jdid, a first-year master’s student in International Relations at RGSU.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) focused its discussions on the life and role of women in Iran following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Delegates were deliberately selected to represent a broad spectrum of countries with diverse positions and political interests in the region. All five days of the committee’s work were marked by intense debate among three coalitions, shared Oleg Khmelevoy, a third-year student of the International Relations programme at HSE and Chair of the committee.

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A Taste for Diplomatic Variety

In the Inland Transport Committee of the UN Economic Commission for Europe, discussions on transatlantic integration of transport systems unexpectedly gave rise to a new form of diplomacy—‘baguette-kumis diplomacy.’ This whimsical tradition began with a gift exchange between the French and Kazakhstani delegations. ‘On the second day, Kazakhstan gave France some baguettes. On the third day, France responded with kumis. On the fourth day, France presented Kazakhstan with mugs bearing the Kazakh flag. By the fifth day, they drafted a love-themed resolution and an agreement to form a joint confederation,’ recounted Alexander Novosadov, a first-year student of Political Science at the State Academic University for the Humanities (GAUGN) and Chair of the Committee.

The Basis of Effective Negotiations

All committees experienced heated debates, some of which lasted until the very end of the event.

The IAEA discussed nuclear energy security as a tool in combating climate change. Meanwhile, in the UN Security Council, delegates attempted to establish regulatory mechanisms for private military companies involved in contemporary armed conflicts.

The conciliation commission format requires delegates to reach decisions that take into account the positions of all participating countries, explained Ulugbek Ibragimov, the delegate for Canada in the UN Security Council and a second-year Law student at HSE.

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) also adopted this format after delegates failed to pass a working draft resolution due to a deadlock in votes. Egypt stepped in as a mediator between developed and developing African nations, playing a key role in achieving a compromise and drafting the final document.

‘Better ten years of negotiations than one day of war,’ said Alexandra Morozkina, Deputy Dean for Research at the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, quoting ex-Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Gromyko in her welcoming speech to the participants of the Model UN.

A Brave New World

Negotiating in a foreign language significantly enriches vocabulary and conversational skills, noted Diana Ruslanova, a UNHCR delegate and first-year master’s student in Foreign Regional Studies (Regions and countries of Euro-Atlantic Civilisation) at Kazan Federal University. According to her, before participating in eight MUNs, her English was a shaky B2, but has since improved to a solid C1. After each session, she feels inspired to read more international journals and professional literature.

Nikita Mordvinov, a first-year student of Paediatrics at Ulyanovsk State University and Best Delegate in the IAEA committee, admitted that he joined HSEMUN-25 as a unique and meaningful birthday gift to himself.

‘I would recommend taking that first step into the unknown, whether you think you will enjoy it or not—because it is here that you can grow in so many areas of life,’ said Vega Bonilla Gerald Samuel, a third-year student of World Economy at St Petersburg Polytechnic University, originally from Peru.

April 29