Thirty-six Dawson College students travelled to Boston in mid-February to participate in Harvard National Model United Nations. The conference, one of the world’s longest-running and most prestigious UN simulations, brought together over 1,200 college and university students from over 30 countries.

The Dawson College Model United Nations (DCMUN) delegation debated issues ranging from international peace and security to economic and social progress and human rights. DCMUN’s Assistant Head Delegate for the conference, Lucas Quintero Hernandez, underlined the deep learning brought about by completing extensive research and then “taking a stance in front of 100 people to represent, not only a country, but our College.”

His fellow assistant head delegate, Olivia Richardson, observed that it was “an absolute honour to work with Dawson delegates as they showed outstanding debating skills, a multitude of ideas and a passion for democracy.” Olivia also emphasized how much the delegates learned about diplomacy, debate, and international relations after their four-day experience.

In a competitive field made up of students from famed institutions such as Yale, Berkeley, and the University of Chicago, two Dawson delegates, Olivier Lamoureux and James Chau, won honourable mentions for their work representing Cuba on the UN’s Economic and Financial Committee.

DCMUN’s head delegate, Arax Armenian, summarized the conference as follows: “Attending Harvard National Model United Nations was an exceptional privilege, where enriching debates were matched by the opportunity to explore both Boston and the iconic Harvard campus. Serving as head delegate presented its challenges, especially navigating an international trip, yet it ultimately led to great success and forged enduring friendships among us all. Being part of DCMUN has been an honour, leaving me grateful for the invaluable skills honed, and the cherished memories crafted over these two years.”

The DCMUN faculty advisors would like to acknowledge funding from SSAP, SAEF (Dawson Foundation), and the whole staff at student services, notably Gianna Di Giacomo Smith, Caroline Blouin, and Trudy Ste-Croix, for helping make this educational trip happen at an affordable rate for so many students.

If you would like more information on DCMUN, please contact faculty advisors 

Julian Nemeth (mailto:jnemeth@dawsoncollege.qc.ca) and Nancy Rebelo (mailto:nrebelo@dawsoncollege.qc.ca). 

-Submitted by Julian Nemeth