On Sunday, January 21, 13 students and 3 teachers from YCIS Puxi and Pudong set off for one of the biggest MUN conferences in the world, THIMUN. The Hague International Model United Nations is a yearly conference held in The Netherlands, hosting over 100 schools from every continent. This year YCIS was one of the schools invited to attend as representative of Bulgaria, and we did not let this opportunity go to waste.

After an 11-hour flight to Amsterdam and a good night's rest, the delegates were taken on a tour of Amsterdam and the Hague, visiting places such as Anne Frank House, the Peace Palace and Rijksmuseum. Walking through these cities and learning about their histories made them appreciate the significant role of the UN, and the importance of advocating for change. 

Visiting Anne Frank House was especially poignant, as it highlighted the need to advocate for human rights, which was very relevant for delegates in the Human Rights Council and General Assembly committees who debated related topics.

From Tuesday to Friday, the delegates spent the days debating on important global topics, giving speeches, and making international friendships. One of our Y12 students, Augustine Chan from Puxi Campus, was chosen to be the Deputy President of the Sustainable Development Committee, Sub-Commission 1.

He faced the challenges of maintaining a large group of delegates in order and mediating lively debates in his committee while working with two other Deputy Presidents. Although our delegates faced larger committees than they were used to, some as large as 150 people, they bravely volunteered to make speeches and entertain amendments.

The Year 12 student Daphne Cheng from Pudong Campus, who served as the Official Ambassador for the Bulgarian delegation, demonstrated commendable leadership and a strong sense of responsibility. Her role as an ambassador extended well beyond the symbolic act of bearing the flag during the closing ceremony. Throughout the conference, Daphne engaged proactively with the agenda, forging meaningful interactions and collaborations with representatives from other nations. She adeptly proposed and supported resolutions, showcasing her impressive diplomatic and negotiation skills.

Lively debates, humorous quotes and memorable moments were shared between our delegates during dinners in local restaurants, and many cross-campus friendships blossomed over delicious meals. Other than having dinner in The Hague’s local restaurants, the delegates also had chances to walk around the city centre and shop in local bookstores and supermarkets. 

On their last day in The Hague they visited the beach, as well as the city centre and the Maurtishuis Museum, where they got the chance to see Johannes Vermeer’s "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait".
 

Overall, this was an enriching experience, in which the delegates got to learn about diverse cultures and get a better understanding of the different perspectives on global issues, as well as forging cross-campus friendships. Other highlights from the trip include: listening to other delegates use political puns in their speeches; making friends from around the world; the opening ceremony, where we had the honour to listen to the International Criminal Court's Registrar, Osvaldo Zavala Giler, and the closing ceremony, where the delegates got to celebrate our hard work and dance to a live band.