MSU IRO

MSUMUN is MSU IRO’s sister organization, a Model United Nations conference staffed by Michigan State students, including many MSU IRO members. For more information on MSUMUN, see below, or head over to the MSUMUN website.

Who We Are

Michigan State University Model U.N. is the premier High School conference in the Midwest. Over 3,000 delegates from 112 schools have attended our conference over the past ten years. Students from across the country have come back again and again to Michigan State University’s Model United Conference for one reason. Put simply, they have a good time.The staff at MSUMUN prides itself as being both educational and exciting. Committees such as the Michigan Senate are meant to instruct on students about the functions of a state government and how a legislature works as a body. The G20 will take a look at the larger aspects of the recent economy along with other international issues. We are excited about all of our committees this year and our enthusiastic staff looks forward to hosting an excellent conference for you. Students will be able to explore a world-class university while visiting campus and get a taste of college life on Grand River Avenue. The hotel where delegates will stay , the East Lansing Marriott, is a two minute walk from our venue, the historic MSU Union. Delegates are guaranteed to have a great time while attending MSUMUN XI.
Our Story

MSUMUN was founded in 2000 by students from James Madison College, MSU’s public affairs college. Hoping to create a conference that was fun, educational, and delegate-friendly, these students watched their dream become a reality at the first conference in 2001. Eight schools with sixty-seven delegates tackled topics that became extremely relevant just a few months later – the Historical Security Council dealt with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Legal committee debated the problem of state-sponsored terrorism.

In 2002, the conference grew to 15 schools and 204 delegates. Interesting topics included the Historical Security Council, which dealt with the creation of Israel, and a conference-wide crisis dealing with outer space. Each committee dealt with specific aspects of the crisis, made all the more in-depth by keynote speaker Charles Davies from the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs in Vienna.

In 2003, the conference expanded even further to 18 schools and 218 delegates. New committees were added to meet the growing participation – the United Nations High Commission on Refugees and NATO. The conference-wide crisis was removed in favor of committee-specific crises, and committees dealt with interesting and relevant topics such as UN reform. The keynote speaker was Principal Officer in the Executive Office of the United Nations Kevin Kennedy.

MSUMUN 2004 drew 18 schools and 250 delegates and took on new committees such as the WHO and the UNDP while continuing to foster fierce debate in the tried-and-true committees like DiSec and the UNSC. MSUMUN 2004 also played host to a most successful experiment – the Joint Crisis, in which Russia and China clashed over numerous issues while their respective cabinets did diplomatic acrobatics to tackle the issues the joint crisis staff threw at them.

MSUMUN 2005 was the final year spent at MSU’s Kellogg Center, as by now the conference had grown too large to be held there. MSUMUN hosted seven committees that year, once again providing stunning GAs such as SocHum and SpecPol, and tackling thornier issues in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Once more, the Joint Crisis was run, linking the UN Security Council and the Filipino Cabinet’s decisions on how to proceed in the War on Terror. MSUMUN’s first application-only committee was a success, allowing the best delegates to debate the policies of the Bush National Security Council.

MSUMUN 2006 exploded in growth thanks to a new venue, expanding to a record eleven committees. In South Lansing, delegates took on an expanded range of specialized and crisis committees, as well as the tried and true General Assemblies. Topics included human rights in Myannmar, Pan Avian flu epidemic prevention, and free trade in the Americas.

MSUMUN 2007 was a banner year for MSUMUN, with 26 schools and 12 committees. 2007 also saw the first international school take part in MSUMUN, the Dunham school from Singapore. It was also an experimental year, with the first ever Plenary-in-Simulation session on the Sunday of conference, allowing delegates the opportunity to pass through the resolutions each committee had worked on as a whole.

MSUMUN 2008 brought 20 schools to Lansing, for another year of debate and resolution. Delegates again took part in Plenary, discussing matters of international importance, including the situation in Zimbabwe, the impact of HIV/AIDs on developing economies, and conflict in the DR Congo. 2008 also marked a the beginning of a renaissance in crisis committees, focusing our desire to provide the most realistic and entertaining crises we can devise.

After three years away, MSUMUN 2009 marked the triumphant return of MSUMUN to MSU’s campus. Now housed in the MSU Union, MSUMUN took on a new life, more closely linked with the East Lansing community. Delegates from 23 schools faced issues from protests at the Democratic National Convention 1967 on the steps of the Union, to women’s rights in the 5th Women’s World Conference. The return to campus also marked the return of the joint crisis as NATO and Russia sparred for dominance in Eastern Europe.

MSUMUN 2010 hosted an astounding 417 delegates from 28 schools. With 12 different committees, delegates covered topics ranging from the FAO, the House Un-American Committee, to British Counter-intelligence during WWII.

Session XII

A message from Kaitlyn Colbert, Secretary-General of MSUMUN XII:

Honorable Delegates, Advisors, Friends and Guests:

First, I would like to sincerely thank you all so much for your continued support of Michigan State University Model United Nations. Our eleventh session proved to be the most memorable conference in MSUMUN history with 500 delegates in attendance and the best committees and staff that MSUMUN has seen to date. In our twelfth session, we promise to deliver an even better experience. In the coming year, we aim to present fresh ideas, new experiences and solidify our place as the premier MUN conference in the Mid-West.

I am proud to announce that the twelfth session of MSUMUN will be held from March 23rd-25th, 2012 returning to the historic MSU Union and East Lansing Marriott for the fourth year. This year, we will continue to develop dynamic and through-provoking committees where our delegates will explore complex and relevant world issues- both past and present. We strive for a comprehensive offering of committees and crises, and the coming year will be no different.

It is also my pleasure to announce the growth of the MSUMUN family with the launch of our very own middle school aged conference – Red Cedar Model United Nations!! RCMUN will be held on February 18th, 2012 on MSU’s beautiful campus. This one-day, introductory conference will host both General Assemblies and Specialized Committees and will be offered at an incredibly competitive rate, allowing students of all ages to begin to develop their knowledges of international relations and the global community. For further information, please direct all inquiries to rcmun@msumun.org. Watch for the launch of the RCMUN link on www.msumun.org in the next week!

I am excited as we move forward into the 2011-2012 MUN season. We will be working to increase the usability of our website, debuting exciting new tools for advisors and students alike. In the coming months, advisors will be able to access their MSUMUN accounts from the web- allowing them to view account balances, position papers, country assignments and delegate information at any time of day without digging though e-mails. We will be developing academic curriculum with informational videos and MUN lessons plans, available for download anywhere in the country, truly brining the MSUMUN family right into your classroom. We will be working with the rest of the MUN community to bring all sorts of resources right to delegate’s fingertips though a monthly online newsletter. All in all, we wish to continue the MSUMUN difference far outside the three day conference.

I look forward to another exciting and memorable year, and I look forward to serving MSUMUN as Secretary-General for a second year. As always, please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or comments at secgen@msumun.org I cannot wait to see what the year ahead holds.

Cheers,

Kaitlynn Colbert
Secretary-General, MSUMUN XII