MUN Bilbao

Between the 25-29th January, Mr Nash was delighted to take 15 UVI students to their final MUN Conference in Bilbao, Spain. Accompanied by Mr Gospel and Miss Coogans, the students were representing the United States and Ukraine nations and the indigenous Aleut International Association group (as part of this conference’s prestigious Arctic Council).

After spending a day exploring Bilbao, including visiting famous attractions such as Mercado de la Ribera, Plaza Nueva, and the Guggenheim Museum, students were then invited to the Universidad de Deusto for the General Assembly. Housed in a mesmerisingly aesthetic venue, the Ambassador Will delivered an extremely passionate speech on behalf of the United States defending Ukraine’s right to sovereignty against Russia. After a meal at the hotel, students then went on to prepare for the Committee stages the following day.

During the Committee stages, the students shined – constantly delivering some belter of speeches and asking insightful, targeted questions. After a victory meal at a restaurant in Bilbao, students then went on to represent their nations in the General Assembly. It was after their performance here that the delegations were awarded five awards! An amazing haul – and richly deserved.

Ultimately, this was the 15 students working together at their best. Mr Nash was unbelievably proud.

As the student’s time at MUN ends, it is worth reflecting on. Since the creation of MUN in the 2021 lockdown, students have attended four conferences, won 21 awards, met the Ambassador of Panama (some twice!), attended the embassies of Georgia, USA, and Ukraine, hosted conferences for 200 Shell, workshops for 180 Remove and hosted an internal conference for 80 Vth. However, above all, students have immersed themselves in international affairs, and most importantly, developed their confidence and public speaking skills. They should be very proud of their achievements.