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VWU Named Distinguished Delegation at National Model United Nations Conference
Twenty-member delegation represented Ukraine in addressing current global issues
University News | April 12, 2024
Senior Joshua Spicer is no stranger to the National Model United Nations Conference experience. For the third time, he attended the event this spring with a 20-member student delegation from Virginia Wesleyan University. As a veteran delegate, Spicer served as head delegate, along with Paul Nelson '24, a moderator, and as VWU’s first-ever committee chair.
“This year, I had the honor of being a chair for the Commission on the Status of Women Committee,” said Spicer. “It was wonderful being able to lead a committee through the conference and to not only create the best experience for my VWU team, but also for all the other students/schools on my committee.”
The 2024 student delegation from VWU represented Ukraine, earning a “Distinguished Delegation” distinction by the conference’s end. The event, held in New York City from April 1 – 6, provided an opportunity for students in James Moskowitz’s political science class to experience global citizenship and diplomacy. They joined more than 1,500 delegates from more than 140 schools and over 50 nations to come together in the spirit of collaboration toward solving shared challenges.
In addition to Head Delegates Josh Spicer and Paul Nelson, the 2024 VWU delegation included: Alexis Bailey, Calee Lukowski, Stefan Zrnic, Stephanie Clark, Hovhannes Madanyan, Jennifer Mejia, Rowan Stuart, Grace Harriman, Bryce Davenport, Gabrielle Barnett, Hubert Parawa, Ines Poliquen, Kaylee Grimstead, Allyson Crothers, Lucas Gordon, Aidan Foley, Maria Eduarda de Freitas Bernardo, and Eddie McDonald.
“Students began preparing for their roles in the simulation at the beginning of the spring semester,” noted Moskowitz. “They learned about the United Nations and its various programs, goals and agencies; and they conducted research relevant to Ukraine’s positions on a variety of issues—including the Russian Federation’s invasion and the ways the ongoing conflict informs Ukrainian position-taking on global issues such as refugees, housing, nuclear emergency preparedness, and climate change.”
Fostering global citizenship since 1927, the National Model United Nations (NMUN) is the world's largest and oldest ongoing university-level Model UN. NMUN annually draws participants from more than 100 UN Member States to address current global issues while offering experiential learning programs that provide students with a forum to hone skills in diplomacy, negotiation, critical thinking, compromise, public speaking, writing, and research.
A highlight of the VWU delegates’ experience this year was meeting with the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya.
“Ambassador Kyslytsya took time out of his day at Ukraine’s Permanent Mission to meet with the students and provide a ‘unique opportunity to dive into the details, understand contexts, identify trajectories, and choose strategies’ for ways to overcome ‘common security challenges’ caused by Russia’s war,” Moskowitz explained.
Spicer says he was most impressed by how knowledgeable Ambassador Kyslytsya was about the history of the UN and its inner workings. He said he would expect him to be well-versed in Ukrainian topics and history, as he was, but the UN information was quite interesting to hear about.
“The ambassador was very keen on expressing how the war in Ukraine is a proxy war of sorts. The United States and other NATO countries might rather pay a relatively small amount to have Ukraine fight Russia instead of the US sending its own troops. As support for Ukraine has become increasingly polarized within the halls of the US Congress, it was enlightening to hear the ambassador's view on the issue. Having the opportunity to talk with the him was such an honor and one of the greatest experiences I've had as a part of Model UN.”
During the conference, VWU delegates participated in committee meetings, formal debates, informal sessions, and working groups, which allowed them to focus on the topics at hand. As representatives of Ukraine, the VWU students served in the General Assembly (GA), Human Rights Council (HRC), United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Commission for Social Development (CSocD), Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The students typically found themselves on the opposite side of negotiations from the Russian Federation, as each student group stuck conscientiously to its simulation role.
For their role in the conference and simulation, the Virginia Wesleyan delegation earned distinctions at a number of levels. In addition to earning the team award as a “Distinguished Delegation” at the closing ceremonies in the General Assembly Hall at UN Headquarters, two sets of students were recognized for their outstanding position papers— prepared in advance of the conference. Ines Poliquen and Aidan Foley were recognized for their outstanding position paper for the General Assembly’s third committee; and Jennifer Mejia and Hubert Parawa were recognized for their position paper for the IAEA.
“Participating in Model UN the past three years has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” noted Spicer. “It is a tremendous amount of work, especially leading up to the conference and once there, the days are mostly non-stop. But getting the opportunity to work on and attempt to solve world issues with peers from around the world is an encounter like no other. The relationships formed stick with you.”
Spicer says that the ability to discuss issues with students of all different backgrounds, who are attempting to represent member states that can have ideals different from your own, is a skill that he has used many times since his first conference.
“Being able to talk through issues diplomatically and understand how others may feel differently is very useful, especially in the politically polarized world we live in today. Model UN will always hold a special place in my heart. I have done it, with increasing responsibilities year over year, because of how much I care about these world issues. Having a forum such as Model UN for all students to come together is incredible and all the work is absolutely worth it. Overall, Model UN has made me a much more understanding individual and has led to a greater desire to continue to understand and attempt to work on world issues.”
Spicer, a political science and international studies double major, spent last semester abroad in Bulgaria. He has also interned for the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development for the past two years. He’s active on campus as a part of the Vox Vera Acapella group and Camerata Choir, and as a supervisor in the Batten Student Center. He’ll graduate from VWU in May as part of the Batten Honors College, then it’s on to George Washington University to earn his master’s degree in homeland security.
Students interested in participating in the Model UN class next year should talk with their advisors and keep an eye out for the opportunity to apply in the fall. Students can also reach out to Professor Moskowitz in the Political Science Department or any member of the Distinguished Delegation.
Learn more about Political Science at VWU.