Looking for an unlikely way to see the world? The Model United Nations (MUN) has you covered. 

UC Riverside’s MUN is an internationally recognized student organization that studies current world politics, providing students a space to learn while offering opportunities to travel to participate in conferences. The club has about 40 student members. Members average four hours of commitment per week and spend their time researching conference topics, drafting preparatory position papers, and practicing public speaking.

“Model UN tackles the more political or economic aspect of things, which is one of the goals that CHASS holds,”  said Pushpdant Mistry, conference director and second-year political science/international affairs and economics/administrative studies double-major. “It allows for CHASS to expand, for CHASS students to realize everything around them.”

While many MUN members are CHASS students, all students are encouraged to get involved. Primary recruitment happens during fall quarter, but new members are always encouraged to join. 

“A large percentage of students participating in the UN Model at UCR are from CHASS,” said Alicia Arrizón, Associate Dean of the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies. “As an Associate Dean in the college, I feel that we have an obligation to support and engage with student organizations who seek our partnership or sponsorship. In particular, the UN Model at UCR has a great history of leadership and perseverance. The students participating in this organization are diligent and inspiring.”

The club was recently awarded a $1,000 grant from the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, which will assist the organization with travel expenses to conferences. At conferences, members serve as representatives for various world nations, utilizing present political strategies to propose hypothetical resolutions for various current global crisis topics. 

Conferences last between one and two days, and students from all visiting schools spend the day debating topics with the hope of earning an award for their performance. In November 2019 at a conference in Washington, D.C., all attending UCR representatives received the Distinguished Delegation award, given to the top 20 percent of participating students. 

Certain conferences are close to home, but the club has also had the opportunity to travel the world to attend conferences overseas. In November 2019, the organization traveled to Germany and Washington, D.C., for conferences hosted by the National Model United Nations organization. While in DC, UCR’s Model UN competed against about 100 schools and received the Position Paper Award, an award granted to the school with the best “position paper” which serves as a written opening argument of intent. The club was also awarded Honorable Mention as a full delegation, the equivalent of third-place overall. 

In March, the club will travel to New York for another conference. In 2021, the club will attend a conference in Japan, and, in 2022, will attend a conference in the Czech Republic. The organization has also hosted several smaller conferences on campus, with 5-10 schools and more than 100 delegates. Annually, the club hosts three conferences, one for high school teams and two for other colleges’ teams. Each conference lasts between one and two days, from 8 am-5 pm.

MUN students are also able to improve their leadership and public speaking skills while connecting with major-related or post-grad related resources.

“I love Model UN because it gives me an opportunity to practice diplomacy in a context where everyone is genuinely serious,'' said third-year chemistry major Arman Saadatkhah. “...everyone in MUN wants to help each other get better while competing against each other. I’m a CNAS major, but I would recommend it to both CNAS and CHASS because of all of the connections and bonds you make with people. It’s a great opportunity for one to get out of their shell and let the fire in them shine!” 

“I feel any organization that gives students an opportunity for them to think about their college experience in another space, and how they gauge it through an organization like this is important,” said Milagros Peña, UCR Professor of Sociology and Ethnic Studies, and Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

MUN students hope to take the skills they’ve learned during their involvement with the organization into their post-graduate careers, applying their experiences to real-world opportunities.  

“My career goal is to work for the IMF (International Monetary Fund) as a political analyst,” Mistry said. “It relates to international affairs, and the reason I’m passionate about politics and MUN is because it gives you a new perspective on life. Oftentimes, we only see American politics, but there is a world around us and it’s about realizing that we’re really developed. We make a lot of money, but what about someone who can barely make two dollars a day?”

“I truly believe that [students’] involvement in Model UN positively influences their goals and career aspirations,” Arrizón said. “Being involved in this organization not only helps them understand the complexity of the world but contributes greatly to their development as a student and future professional. Student members in this organization represent CHASS and UCR nationally and internationally.”

Learn more about UCR’s Model United Nations org at https://munucr.wixsite.com/munucr.

FEATURED PHOTO. Photo courtesy of Pushpdant Mistry.
Members of UC Riverside's Model UN club pose at one of their recent conferences. Featuring Pushpdant Mistry (back row, second from the right) and Arman Saadatkhah (back row, far right).