Students participate in Harvard National Model United Nations

February 26, 2017
Seven Ashesi students participated in the 63rd edition of the Harvard National Model United Nations Conference, February 16-19. The convening, the largest and oldest of its kind, brings together over 3,000 students and faculty from colleges and universities to share in the experience of international negotiation and diplomacy.

The team from Ashesi, including Kwesi Korboe ‘19, David Bonuah ’19, Maame Afua Haizel ’19, Paa Kofi Antwi-Larbi ‘19, Edwin Adatsi ’19 and Kwamina Amoako ’19, are also members of the Ashesi chapter of the Model UN. As part of the trip, the Ashesi delegation engaged with students from across the globe while improving their skills in public speaking, negotiation and diplomacy.

“The art of diplomacy and international relations was something I was not used to,” shares Kwesi Kroboe, who headed the Ashesi delegation. “Despite my experience on the local level, the HMNUN was placed in a completely new environment and I had to quickly adapt to a highly intense and fast-paced conference. On the other hand, merely making friends wasn’t difficult, but making meaningful connections in this kind of environment was harder than I expected.”

HNMUN, while a simulation of the actual United Nations convening, serves as a forum in which students from colleges and universities around the world can meet to discuss the greatest challenges facing the world today, in fields ranging from international peace and security to economic and social progress and human rights. Held in Boston and staffed by students from Harvard, the convening was also an opportunity for members of the delegation to experience the sights and sounds of the city.

“One of the highlights of the trip was visiting both campuses of Harvard and MIT,” says Kofi Antwi-Larbi ’19. “Getting to see the infrastructure in the city and the tourist sites in the school was amazing. Meeting different kinds of people from different countries, hearing stories about their nations and the opportunities to build lasting networks made the trip worthwhile.”