2023 Denison Model UN team

Eight Denison students represented Rwanda at the 2023 American Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference, the largest Model UN conference in the Midwest and one known for its emphasis on realism within its simulations.

The Denison delegation won two awards during the Nov. 18-21 conference in Chicago: Exceptional Representation of Rwanda in the General Assembly Second Committee, represented by Apremeya Sudarshan ’26, and the Economic Commission for Africa, represented by Julia Assis Azevedo ’25 and Kate Stauss ’24.

“I’m so proud of the award winners and our delegation as a whole,” said Andrew McWard, assistant professor of politics and public affairs. “This is Denison’s first time returning to AMUN since 2017, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of students to rebuild the program with.”

Participation in the conference was part of the course The United Nations and World Problems. 

“Even though it was a PPA course, most students were not PPA majors. Our delegation benefited from this academic diversity, and it’s something I’d like to continue for future conferences,” McWard said. “For Model UN, students research their country’s position, write draft resolutions, give speeches to large audiences and, of course, engage in high-stakes negotiations. Those are widely applicable skills for all types of Denison students.”

Denison students represented Rwanda on the following simulations:

General Assembly Plenary

  • Ryo Kojima ’25 (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics)
  • Khoa Nguyen ’26 (Computer Science & English)

General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament & International Security)

  • Zhixing He ’24 (History & Politics and Public Affairs)

General Assembly Second Committee (Economic & Financial Affairs)

  • Apremeya Sudarshan ’26 (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics)

General Assembly Third Committee (Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Affairs)

  • Noah Fishman ’25 (Cinema)
  • Reya Islam ’25 (Environmental Studies & International Studies)

Economic Commission for Africa

  • Julia Assis Azevedo ’25 (Politics and Public Affairs)
  • Kate Stauss ’24 (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics)
December 14, 2023