Two EURIP students share their experience as part of the Circle U. delegation at the Model United Nations (MUN) in Rome

Two students from the EURIP Graduate School‘s Master AIRE programme, Zoja Savic and Jackie Landi, took part in the Circle U. delegation for a Model United Nations (MUN) in Rome. They had an incredible experience and warmly recommend participating in Circle U. initiatives to all students!

What is a Model United Nations ?

The Model United Nations (MUN) are simulations where each student plays the role of a delegate representing a country (different from their own), within a committee of the United Nations (UN). The goal is to defend the interests of your assigned country, debate with other delegates, and ultimately draft and vote on resolutions, just like in the real United Nations.

These simulations offer a hands-on way to understand how diplomacy works by stepping into the shoes of real diplomats and following formal procedures. It is a unique space to build essential skills like public speaking, conflict resolution, writing position papers, and managing complex discussions.It was also a way to see how interdisciplinarity and the ability to integrate compassion into solutions, core values of Master AIRE, connect directly to global diplomacy.

MUN Rome & the Circle U. experience

MUNs are not only about simulations, they also offer unique opportunities to discover real-world diplomatic environments.

Before the event, Circle U. prepared the students with specialised online meetings led by great professors from UCLouvain and King’s College London. This preparation gave them a chance to connect with the other students from the Circle U. delegation and proved to be a significant advantage during the competition itself.

On the first day, the Circle U. delegation was invited to the residence of the Belgian ambassador in Rome to meet Ambassador Andy Detaille and Permanent Representative of Belgium in Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Lieven De la Marche. The students learned what the daily life of a diplomat looks like and discussed the work of UN organisations like the FAO. The day ended with an reception and a spectacular rooftop view over Rome.

An amazing tour of the FAO was also organised for the delegation, where the participants learned how United Nations organisations work and collaborate with diplomats. The closing ceremony took place in the beautiful main hall of the FAO, and it was a proud moment for our delegation: Jackie and Zoja both won awards in their respective committees!

The students share their experience

“Our Circle U exchange was my first MUN, and my first time in Rome, so it was both a completely new academic and cultural experience for me. I had the honor of representing Italy for the ECOSOC committee. Despite the challenge of launching into the field of maritime security (a field very far from my studies), I found the MUN conference to be a thrilling experience. I loved getting to know my fellow Circle U and MUN peers, collaborating on different solution proposals and somehow after the first speech the public speaking wasn’t so bad. I know I will carry the memories from my MUN and week in Rome with me fondly for a very long time. I can’t thank Circle U enough for this amazing experience!” Jackie Landi

“I represented Estonia in the General Assembly, and the topic was AI regulation. Beyond the formal sessions, meeting amazing people, especially from the Circle U. delegation, was the best part. And, of course, there is no need to explain how fun and beautiful Rome is! I feel that each Circle U. programme I join greatly enriches my education.” Zoja Savic