Over the weekend of February 9 to 11, a delegation of Ealing Independent College students, along with the Director of Studies, made their way across the Atlantic Ocean to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston for the tenth edition of their Model United Nations Conference.
There were 550 students from across the world at the conference, and it provided an excellent opportunity for our students to forge new relationships, enhance their public speaking, problem solving and negotiation skills whilst putting the students in a context out with their collective comfort zones.
Students, having been assigned countries to represent, researched and then wrote position papers, stating their respective stances on a range of topics, from the Nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula to the Proliferation of Cyber weapons. Following UN guidelines, these areas were then debated and discussed in moderated and unmoderated caucuses, resolutions were proposed, subject to friendly or unfriendly amendments, and voted on accordingly.
Alongside the conference, students had time to visit the impressive campus of MIT and the Ivy League facilities of Harvard, as well as taking in some of Boston’s historical highlights by walking the Freedom Trail.
Students valued the experience immensely. Peter, in Year 13, who studies Maths, Computer Science and Sociology, stated that “I’ve met numerous wonderful people, and have gained further knowledge of the political climate. This trip greatly assisted my critical thinking and leadership skills, along with watching others grow too.”
Jay, who is in Year 12 studying Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, called the trip “an amazing experience, which was challenging but fun. I learned how to communicate more effectively with people and also learned the art of debate in an incredible environment.”
The College will be looking to participate again next year.
News Trips and Excursions
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