Chris Leo – Making Moves in Model UN
Chris Edwards | 07/06/2018

SUSTech students tend to have a competitive spirit, which sees them compete in a wide variety of competitions across Shenzhen, Guangdong, China and the world.

One of the most popular competitions across China and the world is Model United Nations, which gives students the opportunity to analyze international situations, cooperate with partners and discuss solutions to global problems. This report looks at one of SUSTech’s Model UN, or MUN, delegates.

How Did He Get Here?

Chris Leo is from Luzhou in Sichuan Province, a city that is noted for being the only point in China that features four provinces joining all around the same city. He spoke happily about his experience at his high school, even though it was not a particularly famous high school.

“I had to work hard to get here,” said Chris, pointing out that there is only one other student from his hometown at SUSTech, and he was from a far more famous high school. No other students came to Shenzhen from his school, but when he went back home for a trip, many students were very interested in attending SUSTech.

As a first-year student, he is yet to select his major, but he is interested in studying mathematics or financial mathematics. When asked why he was interested in those potential majors, he admitted that he is not scientifically inclined. He prefers literal majors, such as law, foreign languages, and Chinese literature, so when the spirit of SUSTech infused him, he wanted to find some new foci. He believes that mathematics and financial mathematics is a better option for him.

When we questioned Chris about why he chose to take up Model United Nations, he said he got involved in Model UN when he was in the final year of middle school. He said that he was looking for an activity with an international style that would improve his communication skills and look at international issues. He spoke openly about his interest in different types of issues.

“When I first took part, common issues were about refugees and the environment. However, the most memorable one was at a conference in Beijing, where we discussed the Arab Spring,” revealed Chris. He found this subject really interesting in part because he was given the role of a feminist journalist, instead of the delegate of a country. He felt that the opportunities provided by such a structure meant that he had to prepare widely to be ready for each MUN conference and committee session.

His Experience at MUN

Chris found that he has had to work hard to prepare for Model UN. He did a lot of research on the country to which he was allocated, assuming he did not get his first choice. The background document for each conference is sent in advance, so students are given time to analyze the information, as it relates to the country that they have been randomly allocated.

“As we have been asked to act as delegates from different countries, we are effectively endowed with the ability to make decisions on behalf of our nations. As a result, we need to know as much as possible about our countries,” explained Chris. He went on to comment that this research, ahead of the conference, makes them more prepared at dealing with different situations on the conference floor, and gives them the ability to share their position with other national delegates effectively.

All the national delegates have earnest and heated arguments about the issue, to come up with at least one solution to the conflict. Once the solutions are agreed upon, they are written up formally and presented to the conference. Chris pointed out that this phase of the conference gave the students the skills to write official documents and work papers.

He talked openly about competing in Hong Kong at the 2017 MUN Conference, representing SUSTech at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He was tasked with being the delegate for Bangladesh, a small South Asian nation surrounded largely by India, along with a small border with Myanmar.

“One of the topics we discussed was the Korean Peninsula. As Bangladesh, we didn’t have much to say, but we could offer help to other countries such as the USA, China, and Canada,” said Chris. He went on to explain the importance of improving the relationship between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea at the conference, as well as student delegates competing for the discourse power and compromising based on each country’s national interest.

“We can make the conference almost as lively as the United Nations itself,” said Chris. He also noted that there’s a big difference between the HKUST MUN club, and the clubs in China mainland.

“There are a lot more international students that take part at HKUST compared to China mainland,” Chris commented, “with many students from Europe and India. The whole conference is in English, so I work hard to get my point across.” He felt that his success at these events showed that the support that SUSTech provides to students ensures that he can perform well at these events.

We asked Chris about whether big countries are easier to prepare for small countries, and he shook his head. “Big countries have far more responsibility when it comes to the committees, so delegates need to understand a lot more about the system

Importance of Debating and Public Speaking

As we moved onto other issues around Model UN, we asked Chris about the importance of debating as a skill for students. Chris was sure in his opinion that a subject like CLE’s Critical Thinking and English Debate should be a compulsory skill.

Chris said, “It’s important to have the opportunity to do critical thinking,” explaining that this is one of the reasons that attracted him to SUSTech. “SUSTech students are always fighting and arguing because they want to be the best.”

On a lighter area of conversation, we moved to people’s fear of public speaking. When asked about how to try and get people to get over it in a university environment, he felt that the requirement for students to do presentations in class was really helpful and encouraged students to take part in activities such as debating and Model UN.

Other Areas of Success on Campus

When we asked him about other places that students are succeeding on campus, Chris pointed out that there are more than 100 clubs on campus, where students are finding success in their ways.

He specifically cited the numerous language clubs, the variety of music groups, and several sports clubs around campus, where students are finding their ways to succeed.

A Message for Those Wanting to Improve and Succeed

When asked about a final message for anyone wanting to become a better public speaker or researcher, Chris reflected on this and encouraged students to learn from a wide range of materials. He takes inspiration from the Henry Kissinger book, “World Order,” about the exploration of the global power dynamic and encouraged people to watch videos about public speaking. Chris pointed out that there are activities where you can practice debating and public speaking, and the key here is that practice makes perfect. He argues that you cannot learn the theory, you must practice and experience the activity to become good at it.

In Summary

Chris Leo came to SUSTech last year and had expanded on his knowledge base at SUSTech. Despite arriving at SUSTech without knowing anybody, he has blossomed in the activity that he knows and loves, and as a result, is receiving recognition for his hard work. His efforts in Model UN shows us that students at SUSTech can succeed in a variety of areas, not just in the laboratory.

2018, 07-06
By Chris Edwards

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