Why you should join
The Delegation is an exclusive program which teaches students the theory and practice of multilateral diplomacy. Over the course of six months, where you invest 10 hours per week, you master the art of public speaking, negotiation and leadership.
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.
Partners and references
We have worked with many organisations over the past two decades.
What our past Delegates have to say...
What does your year look like?
Selection Round
When you apply, you will go through three phases. The first phase is a paper round, the second phase is a MUN simulation, and the final round is an interview.
First Delegate Meeting
A day in Nijmegen, with lectures, lunch, and training. You will meet your Delegation and end the day with drinks.
Friday Sessions
Each Friday you will have a day filled with lectures, trainings, workshops, and MUNs.
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.
Pillar I: Academic
Participants enrol in an accredited 10 ECTS university course on multilateral diplomacy, including lectures, assignments and an exam.
Pillar II: Professional
- The programme provides weekly training in negotiation, lobbying, public speaking, document drafting, team-building and personal development.
Pillar III: Model United Nations
- Delegates apply theory through in-house MUNs and participate in international conferences such as at Oxford and Harvard to debate, write working papers and vote on resolutions.
Pillar IV: Social
- The programme fosters a close-knit community among Dutch and international students, strengthening peer support and creating memorable social experiences.
Oxford International Model UN
In November you will be ready for your first real-life MUN experience at the Oxford International Model UN conference!
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!
Friday Sessions (Continued)
Each Friday you will have a day filled with lectures, trainings, workshops, and MUNs.
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.
United States Trip
The Delegation has seven days of intensive final preparation in New York (with free time)! The goal of this week is to get some final inspiration, as well as time to prepare (together with your partner). After that, the Delegation will travel to Boston for the Harvard National Model United Nations. This is the oldest, largest, and arguably the most prestigious Model United Nations (MUN) in the world.
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!
During HNMUN, 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!
Closing Ceremony
A time to reflect and reminisce about the amazing year you had
UNL Continues...
You have the opportunity to keep being involved. Become a trainer for our amazing programmes, chair an MUN, Train the upcoming Delegations, or become a board member.
