Brno hosts students from 22 countries at one of Czechia’s largest Model UNs
Over the weekend, one of the largest Model UN (MUN) conferences in the Czech Republic was held in Brno. The event saw approximately 200 participants this year, doubling in size consecutively from previous years. Typically, similar events are held in capital cities across the world; Brno is leading the charge to show that other cities can hold prominence in political representation.
The Masaryk University Model UN is completely student-run, adding to the uniqueness of the event. Most of the organizers attended similar events in the past, including this one. Among the many who are running this year’s MUN, is Chief Logistics Operator Aleksi Juva.
His interests extend beyond diplomacy and international relations; as his team would tell me, he’s grown a natural affinity for leading the logistics operations here at Masaryk University. I sat down with him between delegate meetings and committee speeches to discuss what has led to the great success of the MUN events at Masaryk University. He pointed to the need to think about politics not just in theory, but also in pragmatic terms, to consider what young people can do to enter the political arena:
“It's all good when you read about [politics] in books and see it in films, on YouTube, and everywhere else—but you really need to step into those shoes to truly feel it and realize there's always a force pushing against you. So, learning to make compromises is a reality you have to practice.”
From previous years, Aleksi and his team saw that ambassadors are great guests for attendees not only because they can give first-hand knowledge of the events but also because they can direct the focus of the MUN in practice. A NATO ambassador can stir conversations among NATO delegates. A former member of the UN Security Council can introduce policy concerns to delegates in other committees, and so forth. For Aleksi, and the other organizers, including political representatives is crucial to the success of the event:
“Last year, we had the Finnish ambassador to both Czechia and Slovakia. So we continued with that trajectory. The Tunisian ambassador came, and the Ukrainian ambassador was supposed to come too. There were some complications, but he’s still been involved in spirit and through video. And of course, we also have a speaker who, if I’m correct, used to head a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) mission. This year we also have a NATO committee, so a NATO ambassador is coming as well. That way, we can really have the simulation alongside people who’ve actually done it in real life. It all comes together.”
Three years ago, Aleksi was among the many delegates to attend; the following year he was chairing a committee; and now he is running logistics. He noted that attendance has been increasing consecutively due to post-pandemic effects, among other reasons.
“We’ve almost been doubling every year. To be honest, this year it’s only a 50% increase—but still solid. In previous years, we doubled. This is actually the third year it’s been running in its current form, so I’ve really been involved from the start. The concept existed at Masaryk University before COVID-19, but the pandemic pretty much wiped out the organization. So it’s been rebuilt from the ground up since then.”
Aleksi was not the only one to go down this path. Veronika Sabolová, who is the secretary general at this year's MUN, also transitioned from her role as a delegate to logistics coordinator last year, and now to secretary general. She is very proud of their work over the past year in preparation for these three days—from inviting guests to launching new committees, such as a UNICEF committee, composed of high school students, and a NATO committee.
Wyatt Rosarda, another member of the organizing team of MUN, told me that the event is great for young people to meet like-minded individuals. On top of this, he considers it important for delegates to come to post-Communist countries like Czechia where political apathy was, to an extent, once a norm. For some students arriving in Brno, Czechia is suddenly on the map as a political player, Wyatt explains:
“I’d say it’s a really important point—and something worth emphasizing—that holding this event here in the Czech Republic, specifically, is meaningful. For the participants, learning about the country is one of the most important aspects. Especially considering that we have students not only from different parts of the Czech Republic but also from other countries and universities, it’s valuable for them to understand the significance of where the event is taking place.”
Wyatt went on to say that events like these usually happen in capital cities, largely because of their political weight or visibility. But having it here—in a city that might be smaller in terms of population but still has strong connections and an amazing environment for students— is still very worthwhile.
Diana, an attendee from Ukraine, told me about her fond experience at the event, and the value of having young people experience simulations of international institutions in this way:
“I can speak from my own perspective since I study political science and international relations, and I want to continue working in this field, particularly in international organizations. For me, this event was like the first step toward that bigger goal. It gave me a chance to learn a lot about how the United Nations functions, how to write resolutions, and other key aspects of international diplomacy. I also think I’ve been learning how to present myself better, how to speak English more confidently—skills that are really important in this field. Ultimately, I believe this experience can really help shape my career in the future.”
This year’s MUN also held a purely female-led committee, titled UN Women. I spoke to Patricia, an attendee of the committee, about how she finds it and what she thinks of the move:
“I think the personal experience of women is really important. When discussing topics like, for example, mitigating political violence on women in the online sphere, because most of us, even though we are not active politicians, we do have experience with harassment of some sort, which is an awful statistic, but it is true. So we've got something to talk about, even from a personal point of view.”
After speaking to the attendees and organizers, I sat down with former Slovak ambassador to NATO, Peter Bátor, one of the speakers at the event, to gauge his thoughts on the future of young leaders in politics and the value of events like this:
“I think it’s a really good first introduction to the topic. A lot of people assume that working at the UN is just this noble, prestigious job where you talk about big issues with top experts. And then they find out it’s not all receptions and networking with important people—it’s actually a lot of reading papers, writing reports, staying in constant contact with colleagues from all over the world, and trying to persuade others on what the best course of action might be.
“It’s hard work, often without much external recognition. And that’s why simulations like this one are so important. They show that this is real work, it’s a real job, and it’s tough. It also helps prepare people—so when someone later interns at the UN, NATO, or the EU, they already have a sense of what to expect, because a lot of the tasks are surprisingly similar.
“And another important point is that it gives people a solid starting point. If you want to apply for an internship somewhere, this experience shows a clear trace of interest. Whenever I was reviewing applications for interns, I always looked to see whether someone had shown genuine interest in the field—and something like this is a great first step. It really opens the door for people.”
I also asked the former ambassador whether he has seen a downward trend in young people being involved in politics, especially at a time when there has been a decoupling in US foreign policy from global institutions. He said that it’s safe to imagine that there will always be a group of young people interested in politics, despite the disenfranchising path geopolitics has taken recently:
“I think there’s always a small group—a niche group of young people—who are genuinely interested in these topics. Especially when it comes to international politics, it tends to attract fewer people compared to domestic politics, which engages the public for many different reasons. Interest in international institutions is even more limited.
“Right now, I’d say the UN has been in the background, especially in Europe, mainly because of its struggles with being effective and efficient—particularly when it comes to the UN Security Council.
“But institutions like the European Union and NATO have been gaining strength and visibility. When real crises hit Europe, these organizations started playing a more prominent role. And now, with the potential decoupling of the US and Europe that you mentioned, people are starting to see these institutions as places where real solutions might emerge.
“That’s why young people are naturally turning their attention toward them. If you look at the OSCE, it was once a major player and quite attractive, but today it’s almost nonexistent. The UN is also losing appeal in many areas. But when it comes to the EU and NATO, I think that’s where the future lies for young people—those are the institutions where they can be and learn.”
Bátor spoke to the 200 attendees at the closing ceremony of this year’s MUN, assuring them that he had followed a similar path to many of the students sitting there. Acting as an advisor to two Slovak presidents, including Zuzana Čaputová, he left the event with a piece of advice the former Slovak president would tell younger crowds he believes all young people would do well to follow:
“[She] would give one main piece of advice: work hard. Find your path because no one else will do it for you. She’d say, ‘Work hard, and then we can deal with everything else.’ ”
