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October 8, 2007 —
SVSU's Center for Public Policy and Service has recently included a new project within its jurisdiction: The Model United Nations.
The Model U.N. is a simulation which allows students from all over the United States to learn more about international relations by actually being part of mock U.N. proceedings.
SVSU students in the Model U.N. have signed on for the upcoming 18th Annual American Model United Nations International Conference in Chicago. It will be held at the Chicago Sheraton Hotel and Towers and the event will take place Nov. 17 through Nov. 20.
The Model U.N. conference will consist of groups of 12 students from universities all over the country, each group representing a different U.N. member state.
SVSU chose Kuwait as the country they will be representing. Only having 12 student members, they will represent only one country. The format for the proceedings will actually follow the terms of the United Nations Charter itself.
John Kaczynski, an instructor of political science and the head of the Center for Public Policy, said he is hopeful that students involving themselves in the Model U.N. will become more resourceful with their communication and diplomacy skills.
"What you want to do is not going to be the final outcome," said Kaczynski. "You will have to meet somewhere in the middle and be more like Confucius. You can't follow the Western world, Jack Welsh type character mold. That's just not going to work in the United Nations."
Kaczynski also said he hopes that students involved in the Model U.N. will gain experience in international problem solving.
"One group might be Iran and another might be Israel, and they might never sit down and talk at any other time," he said. "But if an issue came up and they had to talk to one another, they would. They won't just sit there and call each other names. Instead, they will be diplomatically courteous to each other."
Stuart French, an assistant professor of political science and a faculty advisor for the Model U.N., said that events like the one at Chicago will help SVSU gain more recognition.
"If our students do well it will raise the profile of the University and it will get noticed," French said.
French also mentioned that this extracurricular group will expand to include on-campus events designed to reach out to potential future SVSU students.
"We are going to be hosting Model U.N. simulations on campus for the local high schools," he said. "It will drive students to consider coming to SVSU."