Model United Nations Team
NSU's Halmos College of Arts and Sciences sponsors the NSU Model United Nations Team: the Nova International Relations Association (NIRA). NIRA accepts student members from any undergraduate major at NSU.
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the world’s only international organization dedicated to international peace, security, and development. At simulations, Model UN student participants act as delegates, representing different member nations in confronting global issues concerning war and peace, poverty and development, and social and political problems. Students are judged on their ability to stay “in character” and to use diplomacy and compromise to fashion solutions to problems.
Participation
Student participation includes
- enrolling in POLS 2400: Model United Nations (offered each Fall, Monday from 6-8 PM).
- research
- writing position papers on the country students will represent at conferences
- working with other members to raise awareness of global issues
- attending bi-weekly meetings (except during conferences)
Participation enhances students’
- critical thinking
- effective communication
- public speaking skills
How to Get Involved in NIRA
NIRA membership is open to all NSU undergraduate students interested in understanding global issues and willing to work to raise awareness of the role diplomacy can play in solving pressing global issues. To become a member, students must take POLS 2400 – Model United Nations, offered every fall semester. For more details, contact the NIRA President or faculty advisor (contact information listed below).
NIRA Executive Committee 2022-2023
President: Mohammed Husein | mh2556@mynsu.nova.edu
Faculty Adviser: G. Nelson Bass III, J.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor | nbass@nova.edu
Student Testimonials
Being on NIRA's Model UN team has played a significant role in my undergraduate career and has extended its influence not only in my academic skills, but also in my support system throughout the years. It afforded me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone through public speaking, spontaneous in-committee decision making, and serving as a leader/mentor to the rest of the team and new students in the Model UN class.
My conference experience also informed future career aspirations. I look forward to the team growing in the years to come and I shall always look back on my Model UN memories with immense pride and gratitude.
-Varsha Gopaulchan, International Studies major, NIRA President (2019-2020)
We always hear the cliché: "this and that changed my life" and question whether there is truth behind such exaggerations. Well, the Model United Nations team is anything but an exaggeration. I have made life long friends both from NSU and around the country. Of course there is the given: developing one's public speaking abilities, learning to think on the spot, and collaborating with fellow students in order to find a solution to the world's most pressing issues. Yet, the relationships that one builds with our professors and classmates shapes your journey throughout undergrad. The growth that one is expected to go through because of MUN is why one goes to university.
-Kayre Alcantara Martinez, Political Science major, NIRA Internal Affairs Director (2019-2020)
Model UN offers students the unique experience of being able to play a firsthand role in determining the success and future of the organization. As a former president, I can safely say that NIRA has a special place in my heart due to its ability to combine the experience of travel, international issues and research with unforgettable memories as a team and a great sense of comradery. MUN was undoubtedly the best part of my time as an undergrad at NSU.
-Celina Mahabir, Political Science major, NIRA President (2018-2019)