Kuwait / Ägypten 2016/17

I applied because FAUMUN is a great chance to look behind the scenes of the diplomatic work and I am very interested in international politics. It is a possibility to learn how to write and give speeches, how to present an opinion and how to convince others. I hope to improve my soft skills and to learn how to cooperate in a diplomatic way. Furthermore, I expect to meet many people with interesting thoughts so I can also develop new perspectives.

The UN is the most powerful guarantor for the peaceful cohabitation and the further cooperation of the world’s nations and ethnicities. In my opinion, the philosophy of uniting the nations, the willingness to help each other and the effort for peacekeeping across the globe is the main social advance of our century. Peace is a fundamental factor for the progress and development of humankind. For me, the UN is the most capable organization to keep the peace in which my generation grew up and is used to live. She provides the most advanced solutions to the problems and tasks of the world community by using the pooled potential of the world’s nations.

The reasons for my participation lead directly to what the project could be for me. The project could be a groundbreaker on my way to the diplomatic service and a first step into the diplomatic world. As well, it offers me the possibility to grow, rhetorical, in terms of debating and of course in my language skills. It is a unique possibility to meet and connect with people who share the same or a different mindset on global problems. This will be an extraordinary opportunity to discuss and evaluate what drives my generation and to create a better understanding of each other. Apart from all the positive aspects, I will personally benefit, the better understanding of different mindsets and the different approach to global problems will help to create an understanding of, metaphorically spoken, how the world works and why the world works how it works. This part of the project combined with the interpersonal connection which will be made during the preparation and the negotiation are for me the main reason for participating and why the project is such a unique experience.

I applied to FAUMUN especially because of the soft skills and to finally deploy the learned theory in “real-life politics”. I am highly interested in meeting new people, making new friends and working as a strong unit at the conferences. Another aspect is earning more self-confidence by delivering speeches in front of huge assemblies and by learning negotiation skills for the future. I expect to have an intensive next semester with, on the one hand, a lot of fun with the other delegates and of course, on the other hand, the necessary professionality to become (one of) the best delegations at the NMUN.

The UN is one of the most important institutions we have in order to handle global conflicts. The work of the UN is highly complex and faces immense challenges such as various cultures, languages, and political systems of the member states. Yet, it is essential in order to make world peace possible, to give countries the opportunity to have their agendas represented in finding solutions for global issues. In my opinion, it is indispensable to further improve the system and structure of the UN to guarantee effective operation. The work of the UN encompasses multiple entities. To me, UN Women, the Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, is particularly close to my heart. This is why it is my goal to work as a consultant for UN Women one day.

One of the reasons I applied is that I wanted to challenge myself to try something new and learn more about international relations. FAUMUN enables its participants to develop and discuss possible solutions for international issues and experience the unique United Nations setting first-hand, which is a great opportunity. I think the project will help me grow personally, by equipping me with useful skills and improving my self-awareness while still being fun. I am also looking forward to meeting and working with other students, who will probably make me aware of certain connections I did not see before.

The UN is an organization that takes care of others. In times of globalization, it is essential that someone cares about global peace and tries to prevent wars in order to protect the people. Beside of prevention, intermediation is an important assignment of the United Nations. Related to civil wars, the UN is advocating for peace talks and wants to protect the basic human rights. In addition, the promotion of international collaboration is fundamental to advance prosperity for all peoples. For me, the most significant remit is to shelter people from any violence and to bring them peace.

As a geographer I have a special interest in international affairs and world politics. About my course of studies I especially like the fact that we permanently deal with current developments all over the world in order to understand them better. A huge variety of disciplines are combined. From human-environmental-conflicts over the effects of development aid to political happenings and their consequences, different processes are investigated and linked. Since this is all really complex and you never stop learning, FAUMUN is a brilliant opportunity for me in order to broaden my horizon. I also really appreciate the opportunity of dealing thus intensive with topics such as free speaking in front of many people, improve my negotiation strategies and time management. When else do you get the opportunity to improve your key qualifications thus intensive under professional guidance? I am sure that the project will help both my academic and personal education. From my participation I expect that I will get to know interesting people and new points of views, improve my soft skills and understand politics a little bit better. I am really looking forward to the project!

The motto of FAUMUN is “leader of tomorrow”. Strong personalities, which are willing to take responsibility, and which are internationally orientated are a crucial asset for any university. The FAUMUN delegation will be the representatives of FAU. By performing excellently at the MUN conferences, the project can have a positive impact on our university’s image. Thus, FAUMUN can be great advertisement for the university, and make Erlangen-Nuremberg interesting for high potential school, bachelor or maybe even master graduates.  Furthermore, the delegation’s members will learn a lot by participating in the project. By sharing these experiences and skills, fellow students who did not participate, have the chance to benefit from FAUMUN as well.

Nowadays, all nations are facing challenges such as climate change or the current refugee crisis, which cannot be solved unilaterally. Even if the UN is not a supranational institution that possesses the capabilities to solve these problems until now, it represents a reasonable alternative to unilateralism. Successes like the mitigation of the Berlin or Cuba crisis could be the first in a long list to follow. So for me, the United Nations represents a chance to unite the efforts of humanity, to eradicate famine, extreme poverty or war from the planet. Maybe someday the UN can be the organization that will lead the way to a better future.

I applied, because I expect an interesting and outstanding semester. Because of my interest in the work of the United Nations I want a deeper insight and also anticipate improving my practical, research, speaking and diplomatic skills, social and intercultural competences, negotiation skills and the way I present myself. I await a team which is growing together during the semester and gain experiences. Furthermore, I believe I will develop myself further and rise beyond myself while constantly improving my performance.

I want to explore the world between international politics and technology. If our environment shall be transformed towards a greener one, technological innovations would not solely be sufficient. Societies should also form and raise their environmental consciousness to enable the introduction of new technologies. Therefore, political actions are needed, especially if the industry has to be “updated”.

The FAUMUN project provides a great opportunity for an exchange of ideas among FAU students regardless of their courses of study. The interdisciplinary approach of this project could serve as an example of faculty-spanning teamwork at the university and I would like to see more collaboration at this level in the future.

For me personally the UN do not only stand for the world’s most important intergovernmental organization. Its six principal organs serve the international community to an incredible degree, in concerns of our worlds´ safety but also by encouraging dialogue between countries. I believe the UN stands for a chance of contributing to a future of peace and international friendship.

Since I see myself in the future working in an international organization, FAUMUN is not only helpful for my curriculum vitae, but also for the soft skills that are needed to work in such an organization. I was always interested in politics, especially in international politics. I wanted to experience how politics negotiate with each other and how and why contracts between states are signed. FAUMUN is the perfect chance for me to experience international negotiations based on national interests in a serious simulation. FAUMUN will enlarge my soft skills, such as the expertise to speak in front of a huge crowd in another language than German, and the chance to improve my negotiating skills. I expect a serious simulation in one of the greatest cities with many motivated people from all over the world and I am looking forward to show my skills and theoretical knowledge in FAUMUN.

The project is a once-in-a-lifetime-chance that includes a package of knowledge that is outstanding. Beginning with information about UN´s work and their Rules of Procedure, going on to experience in foreign policy and ending up in trainings on communication and presentation techniques, FAUMUN gives students a world of opportunity that goes much further than one mere subject at university. Solving international problems is difficult without knowing how to find solutions when there are several parties with different opinions. Therefore, some conversation rules are needed. Though having those rules, it is impossible to come to a conclusion if we do not know what topics are the most important for a country. The most relevant topics can only be found by putting oneself in the country´s place. Being part of the FAUMUN delegation means the possibility to reinforce social preconditions. In these days, soft skills are more important than ever. This is why I am keen to broaden my knowledge in the field of the third column: learning diplomatic skills, learning how to negotiate and how to convince other people. Furthermore, FAUMUN offers the chance to receive different views on problems and solutions – as a future jurist, this flexibility and creativity is absolutely important.

A successful representation at the MUN in New York is prestigious not only for the participants themselves, but also for the university that helped them prepare for the task. The university also has the chance to present their most promising students, which they have chosen, to present their high standards of education and dedication. As has happened before, cooperation between universities is made possible, encouraged and most certainly a promising prospect. This allows the university to try different approaches, compare the results, and adjust their programs accordingly. Lastly, the FAUMUN project grants access and connections to national as well as international politicians, which can be a powerful tool in improving the universities standing.

I value the humanitarian idea behind this project and the work of the UN very highly. By participating in this project I hope to gain insight into the inner workings of the UN and the strategies and mechanism it utilizes to address the issues at hand.
By participating in this project I hope to not only improve my negotiation and (English) public speaking skills but also to lay the foundation for a career in a field which aims at the benefit of mankind.

As interdisciplinary program, FAUMUN pairs students from different faculties and backgrounds. The together obtained knowledge will flow back into academia. University teaching and research will be enriched through the experience made by the participants. The practice in the field of international issues will allow to raise the right questions and to attach importance on their challenges. And last but not least the participants represent at any time the FAU and so their achievements will represent the FAU as well.

Being a member of the delegation is a chance of a lifetime and a great alternation to the everyday life of university. One has the opportunity to use the theoretically learned issues and methods and get some practical experience. Furthermore, it is a life changing experience because of the exceptional way of being able to prepare and give speeches within a few minutes and meeting students from all over the world. My expectations for this project are to improve my soft skills like rhetorical and negotiation skills, how to solve problems efficiently and getting more confident in giving speeches. I believe that with the help of my team members my expectations are going to be met.