Colgate students taking part in the Model European Union (EuroSim) conference in Germany had the chance to tackle pressing issues such as independence for Kosovo and the image of the European Union.
The international conference was held the first week of January at the European Academy in Otzenhausen, Germany.
Assistant professor of political science Mai’a Cross led the Colgate delegation, which was composed of three sophomores (including me) and three seniors.
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| Safwan Shabab ’10 (right) talks with Carolina van der Mensbrugghee ’10 (center) and another student participating in the Model European Union conference. |
Using a specific issue, EuroSim provides a framework for a partial simulation of the EU decision-making process.
The mock EU conference could not have come at a better time as the EU, in reality, is desperately trying to avert a possible conflict on its eastern border.
We joined students from more than 20 universities across Europe and the United States to negotiate the future status of Kosovo.
The Colgate delegation played the positions of top-level ministers in the Hungarian government and a German member of the European Parliament.
Our deliberation skills were tested as each delegation attempted to secure favorable resolutions over the course of the summit.
The challenging task on hand for our team: balancing the interests of Serbia, a state closely allied with Hungary, and the latter’s larger role in the EU.
For the first time, a number of crisis situations were played out during the course of the conference, keeping the delegates on the move to reshape and renegotiate their positions.
Culminating in a banquet at an archeological excavation site in the city of Trier, the conference proved to be a stimulating intellectual experience for me and the other Colgate participants.
Carolina van der Mensbrugghe ’10, Carly Weil ’10, Keri Gritt ’08, Angel Martinez ’08, and Meredith Birdsall ’08 also took part in the conference.
I feel very grateful for the opportunity to participate in this year’s conference and to collaborate with not only my fellow Colgate students but students from around the world.