The Model United Nations Club of Ukrainian Catholic University (MUN Club UCU) organized an educational simulation game, the “National Model of the United Nations” in Lviv (“NMUN UCU in Lviv”). The event, held on February 21–22, brought together 150 students from 17 universities across Ukraine. According to the organizers, such projects are extremely important for the development of youth leadership and young diplomacy.

Students of Ukrainian Catholic University have been participating since 2019 in a prestigious international educational simulation in which participants imitate meetings of various UN bodies — the National Model United Nations. UCU became the first university in Ukraine to take part in these international training sessions.

Therefore, the university team decided to share their experience and, based on the international methodology they had mastered through competitions, organized such a simulation game in Lviv.

First Day of the National Model UN in Lviv

“National Model UN in Lviv is not just the launch of a new event. It is a moment of mature success, when we see that what once was the bold idea of a few people has become a path and an opportunity for many,” emphasized Halyna Protsyk, assistant to the vice-rector for outreach and social engagement, UCU lecturer, and coach of the UCU team that participated in international competitions, during the opening of the event.

Halyna Protsyk

She stressed that students of Ukrainian Catholic University have progressed from a stable to a strong and recognizable presence on the global platforms of the National Model United Nations.

“We studied the best practices, applied UN methodology, and decided that this methodology would be the most practical for Ukraine. It provides not only an opportunity for learning, but also for networking between the academic sector and governmental and non-governmental organizations. Through such training and participation in conferences, students learn not only multilateral diplomacy but also acquire skills in negotiation, compromise, consensus-building, and drafting official documents,” Halyna Protsyk noted.

See also: UCU team wins four awards at National Model UN in New York

The first day of the National Model UN took place at UCU’s Sheptytsky Center, and the second day was held at the Lviv City Council.

Taras Dobko at the Opening of the National Model UN

UCU Rector Taras Dobko welcomed the participants and emphasized that participation in the National Model UN is a good opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills and to expand one’s network of contacts. According to him, one of the directions of the University’s Strategy 2030 is to promote the Ukrainian agenda in the world, and such competitions help achieve this goal.

“The special value of the National Model UN lies in cultural diplomacy, in the fact that Ukrainian teams must represent other countries and thus delve into the history, culture, politics, and social situation of those countries and look at Ukraine through their eyes. This allows us, Ukrainians, to better understand how to interest young people abroad in our topic, how best to communicate it, and where to find points of contact and interest,” the rector addressed the participants.

 

Dmytro Sherengovsky at the National Model UN

 

Vice-Rector for Outreach and Social Engagement Dmytro Sherengovsky emphasized that those gathered at this event are developing their ability to think like a state, speak like diplomats, and take responsibility like leaders. For many, this is much more than just a game of international politics.

“Model UN is a space where the discipline of argument is formed, where emotion must give way to procedure, where a position must be supported by facts, and where you learn to listen not in order to respond but in order to understand,” Dmytro Sherengovsky noted.

Committee Work. National Model UN in Lviv

Taisiia Obod, a student of the bachelor’s program Ethics–Politics–Economics, is the secretary-general of the UCU Model UN Club (MUN Club UCU) and one of the co-organizers of the National Model UN in Lviv. It was the club team under her leadership that designed the model using the methodology applied at global conferences. The students prepared the National Model in Lviv over four months — a very meticulous process. They formed the discussion framework: defined key problem areas, moderated the preparatory process, and created conditions in which delegates could thoroughly develop position papers and confidently represent their countries’ interests according to all procedural rules.

“We accumulated experience over five years at various regional and international models and decided that the time had come for us, students of Ukrainian Catholic University, to share this knowledge by organizing something substantial,” Taisiia Obod emphasized.

Taisiia Obod

The team also sought donors to organize such a large-scale event. The largest contributors were UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, Jeffrey Wills, and Bob Wood.

Participants of the National Model UN in Lviv simulated work in five UN committees, discussing global crises — from nuclear proliferation to economic issues. One committee’s work was also simulated online; in addition to Ukrainians, students from universities in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany joined it.

Committee Work. National Model UN in Lviv

Participants prepared for the National Model UN over two weeks. They completed modular training sessions and wrote position papers on the basis of which they represented specific countries that are members of the organization. The best participants received awards.

In addition to the educational simulation game, panel discussions were held. On the first day, Nataliia Halunko, Head of the Human Resources Management Department at UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, shared her experience. On the second day, the Youth Delegates of Ukraine to the UN spoke: Yurii Lomikovskyi, a graduate of UCU’s Ethics–Politics–Economics program, Jan Earl-Ruzhytskyi, and Vitalina Shevchenko.

Speech by Youth Delegates of Ukraine to the UN

“We wanted this to be not just a model, but for students to gain certain skills and listen to authoritative people with experience,” noted Taisiia Obod. “These are exceptionally strong young representatives of Ukraine who speak in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, ensure the presence of the Ukrainian voice at the international level, and support the work of our diplomats at the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN.”

Participants gave positive feedback on NMUN UCU in Lviv. Many similar models take place in Ukraine with different methodologies, but the UCU students’ project stands out because it is created according to international standards and is practically oriented.

Second Day of the National Model UN in Lviv

The UCU team plans to organize National Model UN conferences in Ukraine annually, as well as to establish a youth diplomacy hub for NMUN in Ukraine and to host one of the regional international conferences immediately after victory, so that students from all over the world can gain a unique model experience together with Ukrainian youth — building solidarity for postwar recovery.

The organizers expressed their gratitude to the Lviv City Council and the Institute of the City for their partnership support and assistance in hosting the second day of the event.

They also thanked their partners — the “!FEST” Emotional Holding (Lviv Coffee Mining Manufacture) for gift coffee boxes for invited guests, and the Sad Sheep publishing house for notebooks for delegates who won awards.