New Mexico State University’s Model United Nations team continued its winning streak this spring during the April competition in New York City. The team won the highest recognition awarded – Outstanding Delegation.

The NMSU delegation represented Norway this year. Sabine Hirschauer, government professor and adviser to the team, accompanied the students during the competition.

“Participating in the Model UN provides students with first-hand experiences of how to engage with and tackle some of the most pressing, transnational problems of our times,” Hirschauer said. “Climate change, human trafficking, and nuclear proliferation, for example. It gives them the opportunity to hone their public speaking skills and work within groups to find constructive solutions.”

Citlalli Benitez is the 2022-23 president of the Model UN Team. Four Team members who received awards for Best Position Paper are:  Liam Mitchel and Ian Hart for best position paper for General Assembly Committee 2 and Jasmine Recinos and Majd Mawla for best position paper for UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

NMSU’s Model UN team has consistently received top awards for its achievements since the 1990s. Last fall, the team received honors during an international competition in Kobe, Japan. Previously the team took top honors in the 2022 Model UN competition in New York and in 2021 during the virtual National Model U.N. Conference.

Delegation awards are calculated by quantifying the work done in the committee. Attendance, participation and other areas such as proper use of the rules of procedure are all taken into consideration. The schools are then awarded in three categories based on their total points: Outstanding, Distinguished or Honorable Mention.

“I credit their success to the tremendous dedication and passion of our students and the continuous support of our department,” Hirschauer said. “Our Model UN is truly student-driven and student-led. As the adviser, I try to outline and discuss the socio-economic and political context of the country we represent, for example. They truly do everything else.”