Metro Vancouver, B.C. – Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Model United Nations (KMUN) team can sure talk.
Founded just three years ago, KMUN is already racking up awards, collecting three at the annual Model UN conference at UBC in Vancouver earlier this month.
Vic Herr was named Best Delegate while Aaron Philip won the award for Most Diplomatic, and Kurt Renvall took home an Honourable Mention for Most Diplomatic at UBCMUN.
“UBCMUN was an incredible opportunity to grow as a public speaker and advocate for important issues affecting our world today,” said Herr, who competed as a delegate of Kuwait in the Economic and Social Council of Western Asia discussing youth unemployment and sustainable water resources in the region.
Philip and Renvall were both delegates from the United Kingdom. Philip discussed migrant smuggling in the context of crime prevention and criminal justice; Renvall, meanwhile, discussed the effect of telecommunications on international security.
“In my committee, we passed a resolution that would tackle private sector corruption in the area of migrant smuggling,” said Philip. “I got to know all the people in my committee and can say I have friends at UBC, the University of Victoria, the University of Calgary, and University of Washington.”
For Renvall, UBCMUN “made me feel like a real diplomat.”
“UBCMUN provided a great opportunity to use knowledge and skills gained from KPU.”
KMUN was inaugurated by students and co-presidents Sana Sohel and Saed Abu-Haltam in spring 2013 and is now offered as a political science course taught by instructor Francis Abiew.
Previous KMUN award winners include Renvall and Saed AbuHaltam, who won Diplomacy Awards at Harvard’s WorldMUN in Australia 2013, and Chelanna White, who was named a Distinguished Delegate at NorthWestMUN in Seattle.
Patrick McIlveen was KMUN’s head delegate at UBCMUN and he describes his team discussing strategy and solutions for their respective topics well into the night. He says it was a fantastic challenge and opportunity for each of the 12 team members.
The team next heads to Portland in February to compete in the NorthWest Model UN, and to Korea in March for the WorldMUN. Every year approximately 400,000 students take part in MUN conferences around the world.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been serving the Metro Vancouver region since 1981, and has opened doors to success for more than 250,000 people. Four campuses—Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley—offer a comprehensive range of sought-after programs, including business, liberal arts, science, design, health, trades and technology, horticulture, and academic and career advancement. Over 19,000 students annually have a choice from over 124 programs, including bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates citations and apprenticeships. Learn more at www.kpu.ca.
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Caption: KMUN's (from left) Kurt Renvall, Vic Herr and Aaron Philip.
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