The Delegation
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The Delegation is an exclusive program which teaches students the theory and practice of multilateral diplomacy. Over the course of six months, they master the art of public speaking, negotiation and leadership.
The Delegation stands out compared to other programs as it not only includes skills training and international MUN conferences, but also constitutes an academic course accredited with 10 ECTS by Radboud University.
Are you ready for a life-changing extra-curricular program? The Delegation is what you are looking for!
Why the Delegation?
The Delegation trains you to compete against the best students at Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN). In an intense preparatory track, you gain skills invaluable for your future career and personal development.
Being a Delegate means becoming part of a group of thirty bright and inspired students. You will learn how to convince others, speak in public and lobby effectively while continuously reflecting on your own development. Every Friday, our training program challenges you to put theory to practice right away and pushes you out of your comfort zone. In addition to academic lectures, you develop skills ranging from public speaking and negotiating, to lobbying and developing a personal style of diplomacy.
The Delegation is focused on self-development, meaning that your progress is evaluated throughout the course by feedback from your trainers and fellow delegates. The combination of theory, practice, and personal goals prepares you for Model United Nations Conferences at Oxford University and Harvard University, where you will compete against some of the best and brightest students in the world.
The Program consists of four pillars: Academic, Professional, Model United Nations & Socials. Read more about each pillar below!
Pillar I: Academic
- 10 ECTS
- Academic Lectures
- Assignments
- Exams
- Mandatory Attendance
When you participate in the Delegation, you are automatically enrolled as a (guest) student in the academic course United Nations and Multilateral Diplomacy: Theory and Practice (UNMD) at Radboud University. The UNMD is an inter-university course at the BA3 level. The course includes academic lectures by professors from a wide range of universities and institutions on all aspects relevant to international diplomacy: the United Nations, International Law and International Relations, to name just a few. The course is accredited with 10 ECTS by Radboud University and runs during the first semester of every year (September – March). As an accredited course, student attendance is expected as well as performing academic work such as written assignments and an exam.
Pillar II: Professional
- Negotiation
- Lobbying
- Public Speaking
- Personal Development
- Teambuilding
The second pillar of the Delegation consists of professional skills trainings and (inter)personal development. Every week, Delegates receive trainings to sharpen the toolkit needed to be a diplomat. This includes everything from public speaking, using rhetoric and giving dramatic speeches, to negotiating, lobbying and document writing. To keep track of your progress and that of your peers, students each write a personal development plan. This plan, as well as your (weekly) goals are discussed in Buddy Groups. While all Delegates provide feedback to each other, your Buddy Group pays extra close attention to you and vice versa.
Pillar III: Model United Nations
- Putting theory to practice
- In-house MUNs
- Debating, writing, voting
- Oxford International Model UN
- Harvard National Model UN
All the trainings and academic components of the program eventually serve one purpose: making you the best diplomat you can be. You have the opportunity to put all of the theory to practice during the in-house Model UN sessions. Together with your fellow Delegates, you will practice how to best represent your country and let your voice be heard! Writing working papers, raising motions and voting on resolutions are all part of the game. After practicing during in-house MUNs, you will be able to truly put all your newly gained skills to the test at the international conferences. Delegates travel to the United Kingdom for a week to debate at Oxford University, and later in the program to the USA to visit New York City and debate at Harvard National MUN in Boston.
Pillar IV: Social
- Meet like-minded people
- Support each other along the way
- Make friends for life
- Dutch and international students
- Unforgettable memories
The Delegation is a close-knit community, in which students support and inspire each other. Throughout the semester-long program and the trips abroad, the group grows closer and makes unforgettable memories. After Friday sessions, Cultuurcafé is the perfect place to wind down from an intense day of debating. It’s a diverse group that welcomes both international students and Dutch students!
The Friday Sessions
The Friday Sessions take place at Radboud University in Nijmegen every Friday from the start of the academic year in September to mid-February. They last from approximately 10:00 to 18:00. A normal Friday Session usually includes a lecture, one or two trainings and an in-house MUN. An example of a typical Friday Session is the following:
- 10.15-10.30 Briefing
- 10.30-11.00 Buddy Group meeting
- 11.00-13.00 Lecture on International Political Economy
- 13.00-13.45 Lunch
- 13.45-15.00 Training on Dramatic Speeching
- 15.00-17.30 MUN on the Venezuelan Crisis
- 17.30-18.00 Debrief
Aside from the regular Friday Sessions, The Delegation also visits international institutions to provide more insights into diplomacy as a practice. For example, visits from previous years include the Clingendael Institute, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassies of the countries represented at Harvard.
Oxford International Model UN
In November you will be ready for your first real-life MUN experience! OxIMUN at Oxford University will be your first test case where you can show how much you have advanced. You will be assigned to individually represent a country in a particular United Nations committee and will represent this position in the debate during the three-day conference.
Together with the Delegation, you will stay in a hostel, meaning that even though you are by yourself in your committee, you can easily share your experiences with your fellow Delegates. Also, OxIMUN hosts fun socials in the evenings to unwind from the challenging committee sessions during the day!
New York Training Week
In the week before HNMUN, the Delegation has seven days of intensive final preparation in New York! The goal of this week is to get some final inspiration, as well as time to prepare (together with your partner). In HNMUN most (but not all) committees are double delegate, meaning that you will represent a country in a committee together with a fellow delegate. This teamwork requires some extra preparation and expectation management, for which the training week also allows time!
The program consists of final trainings relevant to HNMUN as well as visits to inspiring institutions in New York, such as the United Nations Headquarters and Council on Foreign Relations. During the evening, the board also provides an optional social program. After the intensive week, you will also get a few days off before HNMUN to relax and explore New York!
Harvard National Model United Nations
When you enter the conference arena in Boston, you will find yourself optimally prepared for the Harvard National Model United Nations. This is the oldest, largest, and arguably the most prestigious Model United Nations (MUN) in the world. Meeting high level delegations from all over the world is both an enriching cultural experience, as well as an exciting individual challenge.
Over four days, you and your committee will have a debate with the goal to pass a favorable resolution. As each committee simulates a different United Nations body the committee sizes can thus vary between 20 and 400 students! Participating in HNMUN is a once in a life-time experience and nothing like any other MUN in the world. Students taking part are over all highly dedicated students who attend prestigious American universities such as Yale University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania as well as many international universities. It is truly an opportunity to measure yourself with the best and realize how much you have learned over the course of the Delegation, because we will make sure you are ready to compete in this prestigious conference!
