VERSION 3 SUBMITTED 6.1.15
CHINA - AUSTRALIA
HUMAN RIGHTS TECHNICAL COOPERATION (HRTC)
PROGRAM
CASE STUDY REVIEW
MODEL UN CONFERENCE
DECEMBER 2014
SARAH DYER
MONITORING AND EVALUATION ADVISOR
(HRTC PROGRAM)
Acknowledgement and Thanks
The reviewer extends her thanks to the staff of the Secretariat of the UNA-China for their
support and the inputs that they provided to this review, and to all of the students from the
five Chinese universities and the UNSW who made time in their busy schedule to make
contributions in the lead up to and during the conference. The insights and ideas shared
were very informative and helpful. Thanks too to the Faculty staff of the five Chinese
universities who also dedicated time to contribute to the review process. Finally to Natasha
De Silva of the International Program team of the AHRC who helped to smoothly facilitate
and coordinate the planning and logistics and gave valuable inputs to the design of the review
process.
2
Acknowledgement and Thanks .................................................... 2
Acronyms ................................................................................... 4
Executive Summary .................................................................... 5
1. Introduction ........................................................................... 9
2. Background ........................................................................... 9
2.1 The UNA-China ................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2 The Partnership with HRTC Program ............................................................................................ 9
2.3 Model UN - Overview ...................................................................................................................... 10
3. Review Methodology ............................................................ 12
4. Findings .............................................................................. 13
4.1 Respondents – Demographics......................................................................................................... 13
4.2 Knowledge of the National MUN conference ............................................................................ 13
4.3 Motivation and Expectations of MUN Student Participants .................................................... 15
4.4 Expectations of Chinese Faculty Staff ............................................................................................ 18
4.5 Actions Planned Following Participation at the Conference.................................................... 19
4.6 Feedback about the 2014 conference ........................................................................................... 20
4.7 Advice From Respondents on Changes to Consider in Future Conferences ..................... 23
5. Conclusions and Recommendations ...................................... 24
5.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 24
5.2 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................................... 25
5.2.1 Motivation and Expectations of Student Delegates ......................................................................... 25
5.2.2. Benefits and Gains From the conference............................................................................................ 26
5.2.3. Commitment to Take Actions ................................................................................................................ 27
5.2.4. Quality of the conference ........................................................................................................................ 27
5.2.5. Reliance on a Single Funder ................................................................................................................... 28
5.3 Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 29
5.3.1 Number and make up of Participants ................................................................................................. 29
5.3.2 Balance the Competitive Aspects with the Objectives of the conference ................................... 29
5.3.3 Resourcing and Support of the conference ......................................................................................... 29
3
Acronyms
AHRC
DFAT
HRTC
MUN
UN
UNA
UNSW
Australian Human Rights Commission
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Human Rights Technical Cooperation Program
Model United Nations
United Nations
United Nations Association
University of New South Wales
4
Executive Summary
A case study review of the 2014 National Model UN conference was completed in
December 2014. The purpose of the review is to provide the United Nations Association of
China (UNA-China) and the Australian Human Rights Commission with information about
the National Model UN conference that will assist them in making decisions and planning
future conferences. The increase in understanding about the types of benefits that result for
participants of the conference will assist the Australian Government’s decision-making about
future support of the conference made through the Australian Human Rights Commission
and the China-Australia Human Rights Technical Cooperation (HRTC) Program.
The UNA-China is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the promotion of the
purposes and principles in the charter of the United Nations. The UNA-China is the only
organisation in China that is dedicated to this area of work. It implements a number of
activities in China that help to create awareness, promote understanding and knowledge
about the purposes and work of the United Nations. The National Model UN conference is
one activity implemented by the UNA-China in support of its purpose. The 2014 conference
brought together 123 universities and 488 delegates from across China to discuss the human
rights issues of older people. The conference simulates the UN mechanisms and the 2014
conference specifically simulated the Third Committee of the General Assembly. The aim is
to provide participants with genuine practical experience of UN systems and processes.
The UNA-China has been a partner in the HRTC Program since 2004. The partnership with
the UNA-China is one way that the HRTC Program supports community education in
human rights. It is currently the only activity in the HRTC Program that focuses on support
of human rights education of young people in China.
A qualitative formative methodology was used to collect and analyse data. The reviewer, the
Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor for the HRTC Program, was responsible for the data
collection, analysis and presentation of the findings, conclusions and recommendations in this
report. Data was collected through pre and post conference online surveys, interviews and
focus group discussions. A few selected activity plans and reports were also reviewed. The
informants in the review process were: a selected group of fifteen Chinese students who
were delegates and participants in the 2014 conference; Faculty staff from five Chinese
universities that were selected by the UNA-China; four Australian students in the University
of New South Wales (UNSW) delegation; representatives of the UNSW Law Faculty; and
the Senior Program Manager of the UNA-China.
The overall conclusion of the review is that from the perspectives of the participants the
purpose and objectives of the Model UN conference are being fulfilled. There is evidence
that the activity is supporting the strategies of the HRTC Program. This is in particular
through creating opportunities for advocacy and increasing awareness and introducing new
concepts in human rights. The conference offers an important platform for networking and
exchange between Chinese students and Faculty staff from different universities across
China and with some representatives of Australian universities. The expertise of staff from
the Australian Human Rights Commission contributes to the content and process of the
activity, which is recognised and appreciated by participants. There are certain areas of the
conference that all participant groups consistently identified as being factors that weaken the
quality of the conference process and create risks in terms of achieving the purpose and
objectives set for the activity.
5
Conclusions reached:
i. The Motivation and Expectation of Student participants
 Chinese and Australian students are motivated by a range of similar reasons to
participate in the Model UN conference. These reasons align well with the purpose of
the MUN conference and the strategies of the HRTC Program.
 Chinese students expect that participating in the conference will assist them in their
university studies and provide them with academic advantages over their peers who did
not participate.
 Chinese students expect that participating in the conference will assist them to broaden
their knowledge and perspectives on international human rights issues.
 The Australian students expect to gain insights into Chinese culture and perspectives on
human rights and to form links that may continue in the future with the Chinese
conference delegates.
 The Australian students expect that their experience as delegates at the conference will
assist them in their future profession and career interests in international law and human
rights.
ii. The Benefits and Gains Made From the conference
 Participating in the conference helped Chinese students to gain new skills, particularly in
research, analysis, presenting reasoned arguments and improved confidence and ability
to communicate in English.
 Chinese students are now more aware and interested in international, political and
human rights issues. Many are now motivated to continue to learn and participate more
in these areas.
 Chinese and Australian students expressed interest and commitment to be more
practically involved in the area of the human rights of older people (the topic of the
conference) within their own families and communities.
 The Australian students were very positive about what they gained from participating in
the conference and their experiences far exceeded their expectations. They particularly
identified highlights being: the working relationships and friendships formed with other
delegates and with their own team; and learning how to operate in (navigate discussions
and negotiations) in a very different cultural context.
 The conference provided Chinese Faculty staff with opportunities and for their students:
to extend their knowledge; build new networks; and work more collaboratively within
their university and with other universities.
 The participation of the Australian team was beneficial and there is interest in more
teams from Australia and other countries in the Asia region being part of future
conferences.
iii. Commitment to Take Actions
 The conference has helped to stimulate and motivate some of the participants to take a
greater interest and to commit in the future to be more active in support of human
rights issues. These actions relate to: continued enquiry and engagement in international
human rights through their academic studies; in their future professional work; and
some plan to take action to raise awareness or practically assist and support people who
may be excluded and are unaware of their human rights.
 There is some evidence that past delegates have taken up action in the area of human
rights; for examples volunteering and internships with the UN.
iv. Quality of the conference
 It is positive that there is a growth in the number of participating university teams, but it
does create a risk in relation to maintaining the quality and integrity of the process of
the conference simulating the UN.
6


There is a risk that there is now too much emphasis on the competitive aspects at the
expense of retaining a balanced focus on the conference where participants can
practically experience simulation of the UN’s processes and systems.
English being the only official language for the conference creates barriers for
participation in the conference by some Chinese students, for example those who are
majoring in law, international relations or political science and do not have sufficient
level of English language skills.
v. Reliance on a Single Funder
 The reliance of the UNA-China on the support provided by the HRTC Program, and the
Australian Government being the sole funder of the activity creates some concerns and
risks for future growth and sustainability of this activity.
 The reliance on one donor limits the resources that may be available to support the
ambitions that the UNA-China has in relation to future expansion of the scope and scale
of the activity. It also creates a risk in the case that the priorities and the level of funding
available through the Australian Government for the HRTC Program for this type of
activity is reduced or ceases in the future.
The recommendations suggested based on the review findings:
i. Number and make up of Participants
 The UNA-China considers making a decision about a maximum number of participating
university teams in the current format of National Model UN. This ideally should be no
more or even fewer than the number that participated in 2014 conference.
 If the number of participating teams remains the same or continues to increase that
UNA-China considers how to alter the conference format and explores whether it is
feasible to extend the number of days for the conference.
 The AHRC (through the HRTC Program) should continue to support the participation
of an Australian team and if resources are available consider extending the opportunity
to at least one more team. This may be an additional team from the UNSW or from
another Australian university. It may be worthwhile to consider involving participants
from Faculties other than law, which the AHRC with the UNSW can facilitate.
 The UNA-China considers inviting some teams from universities in other Asian
countries to participate in the conference to further broaden cross-cultural exchanges
between participants and increase opportunities for networking.
 The UNA-China includes Chinese as one of the official languages used in the national
conference. This may increase the opportunities for a wider range of Chinese students
interested and studying human rights and international affairs to participate.
ii. Balance the Competitive Aspects with the Objectives of the conference
 The UNA-China reviews the categories and criteria of the awards currently given to
delegates and participants to ensure that they align with the objectives of the
conference. This should help reinforce behaviors by delegates that fit with the purpose
of the conference.
 The UNA-China reviews the format and structure of the conference to ensure it
supports and aligns with the categories and criteria for selection of awardees. This will
help to ensure that delegates have a fairer chance when competing and that the
competitive element does not detract and helps to reinforce the purpose of the
conference.
iii. Resourcing and Support of the conference
 The UNA-China and the AHRC explore opportunities for co-funding from sources
other than the Australian Government.
 The AHRC through the HRTC Program explores other ways that Chinese students may
be supported to participate in Model UN conferences in Australia.
7

The AHRC, UNA-China and the UNSW explore options for strengthening
opportunities for exchange and networking between Australian and Chinese Faculty staff
at the Model UN conference.
8
1. Introduction
The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) with the support of the United Nations
Association of China (UNA-China) commissioned a case study review of the Model United
Nations (MUN) conference in November / December 2014. The review was completed by
Sarah Dyer the Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor of the Australia China Human Rights
Technical Cooperation (HRTC) Program.
The purpose of the case study review is to provide the AHRC and the UNA-China with
information about the MUN conference from the perspective of participating students and
faculty. Information was collected about the expectations, experience and the impact that
participating in the MUN conference has had on both students and staff. The review findings
are expected to:
i.
Assist the UNA-China when making decisions and planning future MUN
conferences and in determining options and relevant types of support that may
be provided for other activities in human rights education with universities and
students in China
ii.
Assist the UNA-China in the development of the MUN conference manual that
is an activity that will be implemented and is supported by the HRTC Program in
2014/15
iii.
Assist the AHRC to understand better the extent and type of benefits resulting
from the activity that will help to inform decision making about options for
future strategies and investments that the HRTC Program may make in human
rights education in China
iv.
Assist the AHRC to locate the MUN conference activity and any other future
support to Human Rights education within the Theory of Change and program
strategies of the HRTC Program1.
2. Background
2.1 The UNA-China
The UNA-China is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the promotion of the
purposes and principles in the charter of the United Nations. Its membership is open to the
general public and to social organisations that are interested in and committed to the UN.
The UNA-China is the only organisation in China that is dedicated to this area of work. It
implements a number of activities in China that help to create awareness, promote
understanding and knowledge about the purposes and work of the United Nations. The
activities implemented by the UNA-China include: general public awareness; research on
current topical issues for China; organising seminars and lectures; participating in UN
activities; UN knowledge training targeting youth and young people in China; and
popularising the Model UN through implementing the national MUN conference and other
more local level MUN activities with universities across China2.
2.2 The Partnership with HRTC Program
The UNA-China has been a partner in the HRTC Program since 2004. The partnership with
the UNA-China is one way that the HRTC Program supports community education in
1
Refer Methodology and Plan for the Case Study Review Sept 2014
2
Refer http://www.unachina.org/
9
human rights. It is currently the only activity in the HRTC Program that focuses on support
of human rights education of young people in China. Over a ten year period the HRTC
Program has provided financial and technical support to UNA-China to implement three
areas of activity: the annual China National MUN conference (with the exception of 2011
and 20123); the Human Rights Training Class (2011 – 2013) and the Human Rights
Knowledge Competition4. These activities have focused on increasing awareness and
knowledge of younger people of human rights and the UN.
Additional support has been provided through the HRTC Program for a six-person
delegation from the UNA-China to visit Australia in April 2013 to explore ideas for
promoting human rights education in the community. During this visit they met with the
AHRC, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and government departments in
Canberra. As part of the 2014 / 15 activities the UNA-China will receive financial support to
help the development of a manual that is a practical guide for Chinese Universities on
implementing MUNs in their own universities.
2.3 Model UN - Overview
The 2014 National MUN in Nanjing is the eleventh National MUN for university students
held in China. The MUNs simulate the proceedings of different UN bodies: the UN Human
Rights Council and its predecessor the UN Commission on Human Rights (until 2005); and
in 2013 the Commission on the Status of Women. Each university team represents a
country delegation and during the conference the students engage in drafting, debating and
negotiation of resolutions on two or three selected human right themes.
Topics
The three topics selected for discussion by three committees at the 2014 National MUN
conference were:
a. Precaution of Elder Abuse and Violence
b. Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Alloeosis for Older Persons
c. Access to Decent Work and Employment for Older Persons
Topics discussed in previous years are summarised in Attachment 1. The topics are selected
by the Board of the UNA-China and in the past have included: education rights; women’s
and children’s rights; people living with HIV and AIDs; rights of people with disability;
poverty and human rights; the universality and particularity of human rights; energy and
environmental issues; civil and development rights; the MDGs, gender equality; services and
prevention of violence against women.
Assessment of Delegates
The contribution and participation of students in the MUN conferences is assessed. Judges
who include members of the Executive Board and Secretariat of the UNA-China, and staff
from the AHRC and other agencies that work with UNA-China are allocated to assess
delegates and teams in each of the committees. Awards are presented to individual students,
the country delegations and the press centre at the end of the conference.
Selection of Host University
The UNA-China manages a competitive selection process whereby a host university for the
National MUN is selected. The 2014 event was held at Southeast University (Nanjing). In
the 2014 MUN conference 488 delegates representing 123 universities from 31 provinces
3
During 2011 and 2012 the current HRTC program was being redesigned and funding was not available for the
MUN
4
Refer http://www.unachina.org/
10
throughout China took part. This is the largest National MUN held so far in China. The
number of participating universities has increased steadily over the 11 years that the MUN
has been implemented. In the first conferences there were only about 100 delegates coming
from about 20 to 30 universities5.
The National MUN conference is a very popular event. Applications are received from more
participants and universities than can be included in the event. The UNA-China attempts to
get a fair representation of universities at the event based on geographical location. They try
to ensure participants from less developed areas and less prestigious universities also have a
chance to participate6.
The UNA-China has helped to establish and provides support to a regional MUN network
that operates across China. The network helps increase awareness and strengthens capacity
of universities in the same region. Currently there are ten universities that act as focal points
in the network. These universities are responsible for disseminating information about the
MUN conferences and encouraging and supporting others to participate and initiate activities
in their own universities7.
Selection of Chinese Students
Chinese universities select the student delegates in different ways. The students tend to be
members of the MUN Association at their university, which means that they have prior
experience in local level MUN conferences. Delegates for the National MUN are generally
selected through an interview and assessment of their English language skills and knowledge
of international relations and affairs and their presentation abilities and experience.
Consideration is also given to the make up of the team. The aim is to have a mix of abilities
and experience. Experienced and less experienced team members are selected to help build
up capacity of the university team8.
The selection process for the National MUN is very competitive. The increase in the
number of Chinese participants in the National conference reflects the increase interest and
level of activity in Model UN conferences in China. Although there is only one national
event, there are now many MUN provincial and more local events that take place at
universities and high schools and a number of international MUN conferences that the
Chinese students participate in. The National MUN conference is the only event that
delegates are fully funded for. Unlike other local level and international MUN conferences
the participating universities and their delegates do not need to contribute to the cost of
travel or accommodation.
Australian Student Delegates
A delegation of Australian students from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has
participated in the China MUN since 2006. The HRTC Program supports their participation.
It contributes to stronger bilateral ties between Chinese and Australian students and has
helped to strengthen the scope and quality of dialogue and exchange of perspectives on
human rights issues that takes place between delegates at the conference9. The UNSW
Faculty believe that participation in the conference is an important activity and an excellent
5
Cite interview with Pen Hui, Senior Program Manager UNA-China
6
Cite interview with Pen Hui, Senior Program Manager UNA-China
7
Cite interview with Pen Hui, Senior Program Manager UNA-China
8
From the Focus Group Discussion with Faculty staff
9
Refer AHRC Activity report 8.1 2013
11
opportunity for the students to learn about China and world affairs from their Chinese
contemporaries.
Students in their final semester of a Law Degree are invited to apply. The applicant submits a
curriculum-vitae (CV) and provides reasons for wanting to attend the conference. A
selection panel made up of representatives of the UNSW Faculty of Law and the Australian
Human Rights Centre reviews the applications and conduct interviews of shortlisted
applicants. The key selection criteria used are: strength of cover letter with specific regard
to the current year’s topic; personality and willingness to engage with others; strong
academic record; perceived ability to work well as a team member; and any volunteer or
extra-curricular activities and work experience in human rights10.
In 2014 four students from the UNSW (Law Faculty) and a Faculty member (Professor
Andrew Byrnes) participated in the conference. A senior Faculty staff is selected to support
and accompany the team. The staff chosen will have expertise and knowledge on the topic
being discussed at the conference.
3. Review Methodology
The detail of the methodology used in the case study review has already been provided11.
Some minor changes were made to the original methodology during the review process.
The changes made and reasons for them are summarised in Table 2. Qualitative data was
collected through use of semi-structured questionnaires; interviews and focus group
discussions. The sample size of the respondent groups was small (detailed in section 4.
Findings) so it is not appropriate to complete any quantitative analysis of the data.
Table 2. Changes to Review Methodology
Change
Australian student participants included in the
review through pre and post conference
questionnaire and interviews
Reasons for Change
To seek perspectives and experiences from the Australian
delegation
Removed the follow up questionnaire for
Chinese participants (to be completed during
final day of conference and prior to focus group
discussion)
Some focus group discussions with students and faculty had
to be held before the final day meaning it was too tight a
timeframe for a second questionnaire to be completed.
Additionally students’ time was very limited during the
conference to complete additional questionnaire.
Questionnaire for 2013 Chinese student
participants not sent out. Instead 6 students who
have participated in previous National MUNs and
were on the Dais for this conference were sent
questionnaires to seek information about what
actions they have undertaken following the MUN
conferences and any impacts
It was felt to be easier to target students who were part of
this conference and this would mean it would be more
likely to get good return rate of questionnaires.
Some information from Australian faculty staff
obtained through interview and email exchange
A number of the Chinese students participating in the 2014
MUN had previous experience of MUNs (including national
and international) so could provide some of this
information, meaning not necessary to seek additional
inputs.
Provided perspectives and advice from the participating
Australian university
10
Cite email from Andrew Byrne and Andrea Durbach (UNSW) 26th November 2014
11
Refer Case Study Review Methodology and Plan (approved by AHRC and UNA-China September 2014)
12
4. Findings
4.1 Respondents – Demographics
Five universities selected by the UNA-China contributed to the case study review. All have
had a long commitment and experience of the National MUN and had staff and students
participating in the Nanjing MUN. The universities selected were Heilongjiang University,
Tianjin Foreign Studies University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Sichuan
International Studies University and Shanxi University of Finance & Economics. All of the
Chinese respondents (faculty and students) identified themselves as Han Chinese.
Chinese Students
Fifteen Chinese students were sent online questionnaires three weeks prior to the
conference. Ten responses were received (6 female and 4 male). There was at least one
response from each of the 5 universities. All of the respondents were aged between 19 and
25 years. The students were studying a range of courses: postgraduate (Masters and PhD)
students (3); English majors (2); Science and Technology (2); and one student studying
Diplomacy. One student did not stipulate the course being studied.
The range of courses and faculties seems to be fairly representative of the mix of students
overall participating in the conference. Of the ten respondents all except one student had
previously participated in university level and provincial MUN conferences in China. One
student had participated in the 9th China National MUN and four had participated in
international conferences in held in China and one in the USA.
As a follow up to the conference six students (3 female and 3 male) who had held
responsibility on the Dais during the conference were selected to provide (through online
questionnaire) their experiences and perspectives of having been participants in previous
National MUNs. Four (two male and two female) responded to the questionnaire. They
came from four different universities (Shandong, Southeast, China University of Political
Science and Law, China Foreign Affairs University). All were undergraduate students. They
are studying in the schools of Law (2), Energy and Environment (1) and English and
International Studies (1).
Australian Students
All of the Australian students (one male, 3 female) completed the pre-conference
questionnaire. Three responded to the follow up post-conference questionnaire (1 male and
2 female). The University of New South Wales currently makes the opportunity to apply
for the China MUN available to students in their Law Faculty. Two of the participants were
completing a combined Arts-Law degree, one was studying International Studies and Law
and one was completing a Juris Doctor degree. Unlike the Chinese students, none of the
Australian students had any prior experience of participating in a MUN conference.
Chinese Faculty
Faculty staff from each of the five universities selected was sent online questionnaires three
weeks prior to the conference. Four responded (all female). The staff held a range of
positions in their universities: one was a post-graduate student (International Relations), one
a lecturer (Language and Culture Faculty) and two held administrative / student support
roles in the Public Administration section and the Office of Teaching Affairs. Three of the
four respondents had previously participated in a National MUN conference as students.
4.2 Knowledge of the National MUN conference
Awareness
13
One aim of the UNA-China is to increase awareness and experience of universities in the
MUN conferences. This is done by extending its network of university members and
encouraging provincial and local university MUN events. The UNA-China is trying to extend
participation to more remote areas in China by encouraging MUN events in these areas and
by trying to invite universities from these areas to the National MUN conference as
observers to gain exposure and experience as well as participants12.
The Chinese students identified different ways of how they were first made aware of the
National MUN conference. The most common ways were: from students who had
previously participated told them about it (4); followed by faculty staff at their university
informing them (3). Two students had become aware of the event because a national MUN
conference had been held at their university, and family and friends had told one student
about it.
Two of the Faculty staff were made aware of the event as a conference had been held at
their university and one had been told about it by students who had previously participated.
One staff had participated in the MUN conferences when a student.
The Australian students had also heard about the event from previous participants and
Faculty staff and one student had heard through a magazine article shared on social media.
Purpose
In the pre conference questionnaire13 respondents were asked to briefly describe what they
thought the purpose of the MUN conference is. For each of the respondent groups the
responses have been summarised and grouped thematically below.
Responses from Chinese Students
“Bring together youth to exchange views and thoughts”
“Open your mind --- Look at the world from a different angle”
“ A rare opportunity for my students and my school to communicate with others”
Networks and Friendship
 make friends with people who are like
minded and share common interests
Awareness
 broaden views
 new perspectives on international affairs and
emerging future public issues and priorities
Gain Skills
 diplomacy
 in international relations
 research
 strategic thinking
 negotiation
 communication – presenting reasoned
arguments
 English language
Knowledge
 UN systems and processes
 about other countries’ situation and
perspectives
 on ideas on how to tackle things differently
Responses from Australian Students
12
Cite interview with Pen Hui Senior Program Manager UNA-China
13
Refer Annex
14
“Part of strengthening diplomatic relations between Australia and China ---the deepening of
understanding between new generations is an important step”.
“Insights into how different people view the world”
“Encourage people to become more engaged with and discuss contemporary global issues,
working towards a common constructive solution”.
Networks and Friendship


meet and connect with people from
different backgrounds and culture
foster diplomatic connections
between students
Gain Skills



negotiation
cooperation and consensus building
public speaking
Awareness

about some of the barriers faced in
international consensus building
Knowledge

insights into international diplomacy and
how the UN works
Responses from Chinese Faculty
The staff from the universities gave a range of views about the purpose of the MUN
conference for the participating students including:
 widen their views
 communication skills
 knowledge about the UN
 spoken and written English language proficiency
 knowledge and experience in diplomacy and international relations
“ it is a rare opportunity for my students as well as my school to communicate with others”
“[It] lets us know more about the United Nations --- and it can develop the interest of
studying and our responsibility.”
4.3 Motivation and Expectations of MUN Student Participants
Prior to participating in the conference
The Chinese and Australian students identified a number of ways that they expected
participation in the National MUN conference may help their university studies. Many of the
Chinese students gave examples based on their prior experience of participating in other
local and international MUN conferences.
15
The expectations in relation to their academic
studies identified by Chinese students were:
 improvement in English language – helps in
developing skills for interpreting and translation
 relevance to their subject major – international
relations
 improvement in research and problem solving
skills
 improved skills in analysis, reasoning and
problem solving that will lead to better grades
and give advantage over students who have not
participated
Personal expectations and gains identified by
Chinese students included:
 more persuasive communication style
 motivated to facilitate and participate more
in activities in university life
 form friendships and share personal
experiences with other participants
 confidence in public speaking
 improve English
 feel more self fulfilled
 more positive and willing to share personal
ideas with others
 increased attention to issues in society that
not been aware of or considered before
“ I may be more attentive to more issues and
more people in society that I was not
previously aware of”
“--- a different perspective to look at the
world, the community, local issues, even
family routines --- pay more attention to
global issues and news”
“I hope that I can form the habit of
constantly keeping an eye on what is going
on in this world learn some thing about issues
by myself”
All of the Australian students were participating in the Model UN conference for the first
time. They identified the following expectations:
Related to their studies and future professional
ambitions:
 have a chance to debate human rights issues
 learn more about international treaties
 learn more about human rights in China
 interest to learn more about the topic of older people
“I expect to be surprised. In other
 help in ambition to work in international human rights
words, I expect that my
 help prepare for entry into the workforce and future
interactions with the other
professional life
students at the conference and
 help to view issues from different culture perspectives
indeed, the entire experience will
which will assist in preparation for final semester of
give me new, unimaginable
study which will be overseas
insights into how my Chinese
peers students perceive human
 develop practical writing skills
rights. This, in turn, will contribute
 increase confidence in this area of law
to my ever-evolving understanding
 consolidate theory and knowledge gained at university
of our world”
Personal Expectations
 meet Chinese students in interested in human rights
 strengthen commitment to work internationally
 broaden cultural understanding
16


more aware of needs of older community members
increased appreciation of issues facing Australian
society and the work already taking place on this issue
 insights on China and where it is headed in the future
The extent to which expectations set were met
Chinese Students
Focus group discussions took place with each of the five groups of Chinese students. All of
the students invited to the focus group discussions participated. The discussions took place
during the final day of the conference. The evaluator facilitated the discussion. The students
were reminded about the expectations that they had identified in the survey they had
completed prior to the conference. She then asked them to reflect on the extent to which
these expectations had been met and to identify any other expectations not previously
identified that had been fulfilled.
Overall the students identified that most of the expectations had been fulfilled. Areas that
they particularly noted were: improving their public speaking skills; confidence to speak
English; and their analytical and presentation skills. None of the students specifically
identified that participation is likely to have helped them in their area of major study (which
had been an expectation identified prior to the conference). One participant who is an
English major in interpreting and translation expressed concern that she noted that many of
the participants majoring in different subjects had much better English than her own and she
was now uncertain about whether she would succeed in the future as an interpreter and
translator.
The students were very enthusiastic about other positive experiences and benefits gained.
Many noted that they had enjoyed the experience of representing a country other than
China. This had helped them to gain a broader and better understanding of the diversity in
culture and experiences between countries and to be able to present ideas from a different
perspective. Other benefits noted by the students were: they had learnt more about how to
work in partnerships and how to cooperate and communicate within the team and with
other teams; and how to present ideas in an innovative way to get attention and interest of
others. One student commented that he is now more aware of political issues and a number
of students noted that they are now more aware of issues related to elderly people.
“I now understand better how expectations of elderly people differ between China, Europe
and Africa”.
“I now think about politics as being part of my every day life”
Australian Students
Three of the four Australian student participants provided feedback through discussion with
the evaluator and by responding to a short open-ended questionnaire. The students were
all very positive about participating in the conference. Two students noted that the
experience had exceeded their expectations. The students particularly noted the diversity
of views and styles of communication that they had been exposed to and the challenges and
interest this created in trying to negotiate positions and gain consensus. They felt it was a
great introduction to their area of professional interest of international work. For those
students that hope to pursue an international career in human rights, the conference had
built on the theory studied at university and this initial practical experience it provided had
strengthened their interest and consolidated their ambition to explore options in
international careers in the future. The students also valued the experience gained from
working with other like-minded students from their own Faculty.
17
“[the conference] is a fantastic way to see in practice how other cultures and universities deal
with human rights discourse and how they debate and participate in these forums. This is just
the most fantastic experience to get Australian students out of their comfort zones and their
usual ways of thinking and dealing with these concepts and types of events.”
“ a great way to work with like minded Australian students”
“ [I] experienced genuine personal growth and [it was] an exercise in self awareness”
The students felt that there had been real value in some of the conversations and ideas that
they had shared with Chinese students through some of the informal discussions, when
preparing draft resolutions and other negotiations. One student noted that she was
“humbled by the experience” which made her realise the position of comparative advantage
that she came from in terms of opportunities and exposure to ideas she had experienced
compared to some of the Chinese students she met and interacted with. This further
enhanced the challenges and lessons learned by the Australian students when communicating
concepts that were not shared with Chinese students as part of negotiating certain positions
and preparing draft resolutions. The perspectives of the Chinese students and faculty about
the participation of Australian students in the conference are discussed in more detail in
section4.6.
4.4 Expectations of Chinese Faculty Staff
Three of the four respondents of the pre-conference questionnaire were offered the
opportunity by their universities to participate in the Model UN conference. One staff was
requested to attend the conference by their university.
“Participating in the MUN conference offers more opportunities for both the teachers and the
students to broaden their horizon and expand the social network, particularly to apply what they
have learned into practice.”
Expectations of Faculty for their students
Staff were asked prior to the conference what they expected participating in the conference
would offer the students from their university. The most commonly selected14 responses
related to: gaining skills and understanding in human rights; sharing of knowledge gained with
others in their university and outside; being better placed to get a job working in human
rights.
Some Faculty identified that researching, presenting and debating on human rights would
help the students in their academic studies and give them new knowledge about the UN
systems as well as about the specific topic being debated.
The staff were asked to comment about what students in previous years had gained from
participating in the MUN conference. The most commonly selected response (3) was
motivation to share the knowledge and experience with other students, followed by new
knowledge about the specific human right topic debated and about international human
rights treaties. They also identified that students had gained knowledge and skills that
assisted them in their academic studies.
Expectations for themselves
Faculty staff identified a range of personal expectations that participating in the Nanjing
conference would offer them. The most commonly selected was connections with other
university staff (3) followed by expectations that new knowledge and information would be
14
At least 2 faculty selected response
18
gained that would help them in their current job and ideas and knowledge that would help
progress them professionally. Making connections with the Australian Human Rights
Commission was also identified. Those who had previously participated as staff in a National
Model UN conference noted that they had gained professionally learning new knowledge
that they had applied in their lecturing.
The extent to which expectations were fulfilled
Staff felt that their expectations for the Nanjing conference for their students and for
themselves had been reasonably well fulfilled. In the focus group discussions staff noted that
participating in the event had helped increase interest and motivation of certain sections of
their universities (the youth league and student affairs offices) and through the preparation
process it had brought together staff from different departments in the university. Staff also
identified that being part of the pre-conference preparatory workshop was very helpful and
had assisted them in preparing their students for the event. One faculty staff (who is a
lecturer in international relations) said that the experience had assisted her in thinking more
about how she will teach her academic subject and in the future how she prepares her
students for MUN conferences.
Some staff identified that they hoped that the connection with Australia would have helped
them to get more information on human rights for their university and greater exposure to
Australian ideas on human rights. A similar view was shared with the faculty member from
the UNSW by some other Chinese university law Faculty staff who were keen to explore
how Australian and Chinese experiences in teaching (for example the teaching human rights
law) could be shared between Faculty during the conference15. Other staff felt that it would
be difficult to arrange such exchanges because of limited time and their own commitments
supporting students during the event, and others thought that such exchanges would need
to be more formally arranged which again would take considerable time and resources.
Staff spoke positively about the benefits for their students, in particular the improvement in
English language skills and the opportunity it had provided to develop negotiation and
diplomacy skills, and strengthen research and presentation experience. The challenge of
achieving a balance of the conference offering students an opportunity to gain experience
and skills and the competitive element was raised. Some staff were concerned that the
competitive focus of the National MUN conference can detract from the opportunity it
offers students to focus on experiencing and learning more about the UN system and
processes and academic exchange with other like minded students. This concern is discussed
in more detail in section 4.6.
4.5 Actions Planned Following Participation at the Conference
It is expected that following the conference student participants will apply their experience,
skills and knowledge gained in their university and or personal life16. The UNAC-China and
some university staff gave examples of previous student participants who have taken up
internships with the UN in Beijing and in the USA17. Students who participated in the
Nanjing conference were asked what actions they thought they would now do following the
conference.
Chinese Students
15
Cite informal discussion with Prof Andrew Byrnes of UNSW
16
Refer AHRC Activity Report 8.1.2013
17
Cite examples from interviews with Tianjin University Faculty staff and Senior Program Manager UNAC-China
19
It is positive that most Chinese students could identify actions in their personal lives (within
their family and their community) that they now planned to do in particular. This included in
the topic area of older people that was discussed at the conference.
“I will now think more about the situation of the elderly and will pay more attention to them
and in particular mental health issues”.
“I will discuss the issue with my grandparents and make them aware that they (as older
people) have rights”.
One student said he was now motivated to volunteer and support people (not just older
people) who are marginalised and not able to easily exercise their rights. Others were now
motivated to continue to engage with human rights, political issues and international affairs
and thought that they would try and encourage family members and friends to take a greater
interest in these issues too.
In their university life some students are now keen to apply research more in their studies
and one student hoped to publish his own research in the future. Others were keen to
share their experiences of participating in the conference with fellow students through their
MUN associations and also what they had learned about diplomacy and etiquette with their
classmates. Students (2) who had participated in previous National MUNs and were
members of the Dais in the current conference identified that they are now more motivated
to take up positions in public international law and in the legal profession.
Australian Students
The Australian students identified a number of actions that they expected to do as a
consequence of participating in the conference. All of the respondents are more motivated
to try and pursue careers in international human rights and relations. They believe that when
applying for internships and for professional positions that it will benefit them to be able to
refer to their experiences at the conference.
Two of the students spoke of an offer being made by one of the judges for internship
positions in human rights in the UN in Beijing.
‘-- one of the judges was
impressed by our team’s
performance and said there
are internship availabilities in
Beijing that we would be well
suited for. This is an
immediate
and
direct
professional benefit from the
conference and is something
I will think seriously about
pursuing.”
One student also spoke of the interest he now had in the
subject of the rights of older people. He now realises
there is much that needs to be done in this area of human
rights and hopes to find a way to contribute. One student
thought she would try and explore avenues for
volunteering in this area.
Some strong personal ties with Chinese students had been
formed and emails had already been exchanged since the
conference. They hoped that there would be future
ongoing communication and exchanges.
4.6 Feedback about the 2014 conference
The three respondent groups (Chinese students, Chinese faculty and Australian students)
were asked to share views (based on their experience of the Nanjing conference) about
aspects of the conference that they thought were positive and to identify any areas where
they thought there could be changes or improvements made for future national conferences.
20
The successes identified:
The diversity of Chinese student participants in both the range of faculties that students
represented and the wide geographical spread of the participating universities. As has been
noted the 2014 National MUN conference is the largest that has been held in China. The
UNA-China see the growth as very positive but recognises that it creates challenges in
terms of level of participation (discussed more below). They are currently managing this by
inviting and supporting some new universities to participate as observers rather than
conference participants.
The experience and inputs of the judges was overall viewed as beneficial and of value. A
particular highlight for some of the Chinese students was the participation and inputs given
by retired Chinese diplomats. One Chinese student who was on the Dais did however
comment that at times the judges did interfere with the proceedings.
Participation and contribution of Australian students was overall identified as positive by all
respondents. The Chinese students noted the benefit of the different perspectives and
experiences they provided and their way of thinking and style of negotiation. Because the
Australian students were not motivated by the competition it meant that they focused more
strongly on facilitating and supporting negotiation processes and trying to get agreement on
resolutions which was greatly appreciated by the Chinese students. They brought a wider
range of experience and knowledge into the discussions that Chinese students felt they did
not necessarily have experience of, for example: references to the policy and programs of
the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank; liberalisation of labor markets; concepts
related to social welfare and the professional work of social workers. The Chinese faculty
staff also endorsed their participation and contributions, describing their contributions as
“enlightening”. Some Faculty and students suggested that it may be beneficial to have more
teams from Australia and from other countries in the Asian region participate in the China
national conference. It was also suggested that options could be explored about how
Chinese team(s) could participate in a MUN conference in Australia. The UNAC-China
noted that the funding was a factor that limited greater inclusion of other Asian countries.
Chinese universities do already send teams to USA and European MUNs (for example
Harvard, Yale, Hague and Rome) however the teams need to raise funds to cover their
costs of participating in these events.
Additional positive aspects of the conference that were identified by Chinese students
Faculty staff were: the inputs of the AHRC - both the financial support given and
representation of their staff at the conference; the following of the UN procedures;
contribution and support of the volunteer students and staff of the host university;
participation in the pre-conference preparatory workshop.
and
the
the
and
Areas to change or improve
The respondents identified a number of aspects of the conference that they were not
satisfied with and felt could be improved or changed:
The large number of teams participating made it difficult for participants to get a fair
opportunity to speak on the platform, as there were only three committees. This meant that
students had limited exposure and experience of speaking in public, which was a major
motivator for many attending the conference. It was also felt that having relatively few
opportunities to speak meant people were very competitive as they were focused on trying
to get a spot on the platform. This made it difficult to properly negotiate and authentically
follow UN procedures. It was also felt that the new rule introduced for this conference
(rule 23) which limited the time that delegates can speak, receive questions from other
21
delegates and respond to questions meant it was too short for peoples’ contributions to be
recognised and properly assessed.
Diversity of participants although identified as a strength. It was also raised by some of the
students and faculty as a weakness. Chinese students felt that some teams lacked sufficient
experience and knowledge in international relations and human rights. This was thought to
be due to selection of team members being based on their English skills rather than
academic knowledge about international relations and human rights. This contributed to
some teams being weaker in their quality of presentation and participation in the negotiation
and the processes for drafting resolution. A concern about participation of too many
Australian teams and also more international teams was raised. The concern being that it
may remove the competitive edge and also creates a risk that these students pushed certain
procedures. Some Chinese students felt that there was a risk of the Australian’s “leading the
conference” (referring to pushing certain negotiations and amendments to draft resolutions)
by putting forward their perspectives and not always respecting cultural differences in the
style of communication and contextual knowledge and background.
English being the conference language was felt to contribute to some Chinese studying law,
international relations and political science not being selected to participate because they did
not have a sufficient level of English language skills.
Some of the countries represented in the conference were felt by some Chinese students to be
inappropriate. They gave the example that for some African states, some small Pacific Islands
and some Latin American countries there was other more pressing priorities than the rights
of older people, which they felt meant that there was not much that could be said about this
topic by teams representing these countries.
Competitive element is seen by all respondents as an important part of the conference,
however all groups felt that the national MUN conference was at risk or for some had
become “ -- more a competition than a conference”. There was a strong feeling expressed
by many of the Chinese students.
The Australian students observed that some teams major focus seemed to be on the
competitive element. This meant at
times it detracted from the authenticity
of the conference and commitment of
“I understand the awards are there to
delegates to the UN processes. Others
congratulate people for their performance
felt that there was too much emphasis
but unfortunately at times it did taint some
on assessment of those who spoke
of the proceedings. There were many
during the sessions rather than
students who genuinely wanted to work
assessment of written submissions.
hard to create something they were proud
of but there were also some students who
Students
acknowledged
that
a
were very conscious about having
motivator for doing well in the
recognition and the associated prestige.
conference and wining a prize was that
Some people were very inclusive and
some universities rewarded the
wanted to collaborate, whilst others made
faculties and individual students, for
comments like, no one will sign on to a
example some students said wining a
good working paper because they want to
prize helps students to be selected for
be the ones to submit something better.
some post graduate courses.
Maybe if there were no awards this would
take some pressure off students who my
feel they have to return home with
something.”
Australian Student
22
Some individuals made additional observations: that the Dais representatives would have
benefited from more support and guidance (view of participating Chinese students, and
some Faculty); some judges were felt to interfere with the process (view of Chinese
students on the Dais); the social event and accommodation for students could have been
better (expressed by Chinese students); there was potential for Faculty staff to be more
involved in the research done when preparing for the conference; and accessing some of the
preparatory background information about the position papers and procedures on the
University MUN web site was difficult (Australian students).
4.7 Advice From Respondents on Changes to Consider in Future
Conferences
In the interviews and focus group discussions with the respondent groups an opportunity
was provided for them to give ideas and advice on aspects in future conferences that could
be improved. The key ideas offered are summarised in this section of the report and have
informed on the recommendations made by the evaluator in section 5.
Maintain the balance of the competitive element and conference
- there are already many competitive UN conferences so the national conference should
focus more on academic aspects and gaining knowledge and genuine experience of the
UN system
- change the categories of prizes to ensure that the competitive element retains a focus
on the process and purpose of the conference
- consider whether Australian students are not necessarily eligible or are not competing
for the same prizes as Chinese students
Consider ways to manage the large number of participants to ensure that the
delegates have fair opportunities to participate, benefit and learn from the
conference
- UNAC review the processes and rules to ensure that they are able to effectively manage
large numbers and are consistent with the UN processes
- consider having more committees
- consider whether it is feasible to allocate more days for the conference
- increase the number observer countries
- make use of seminars or break out groups – for example break up into regional groups
for topical discussions
- Australian students may benefit from meeting with Australian students before leaving
Australia who have participated in MUNs
Use of languages in addition to English at the conference
- introduce some committees where the official language is Chinese or other UN official
languages
- consider use of interpreters (could be students) as is done in the UN
Strengthening capacity of the Dais
- if English is the working language then representatives need to have a very good
standard of English
- support and guidance be made available to those on the Dais by Faculty, UNAC officials
and possibly other resource people, that assists them fulfill their role effectively
Social events
- make sure event fosters networking and more social interaction
23
-
maybe consider having the social event earlier on in the conference to help socialising
between participants
Make up of judges
- consider including some delegates as judges
Stronger participation of faculty
- explore ways that the facility can take a more active role in research pre conference and
be supported in this role
- explore options of how the Australian participating faculty with Chinese faculty could
informally collaborate engage on areas of mutual interest related to human rights,
research, and / or teaching.
International student participation and exchange
- continue and potentially increase participation by more Australian teams and from other
universities in the Asia region
- explore opportunities for Chinese students to participate in Australian MUNs
- consider other ways that there can be exchanges between Australian and Chinese
university students on human rights issues – for example through study or field visits
Diversity of students
- it is good to have a mix of students from different faculties but the balance needs to be
managed to ensure sufficient experience in human rights and law as well as English
language
- Australian university could consider selection of students from faculties other than law
- need to ensure not too many international teams as this may shift the focus and balance
of being a national conference for China
Funding
- explore options for co-funding arrangements between the UNA-China and HRTC
Program to help increase additional resources that may be needed to enhance the
program and support sustainability.
5. Conclusions and Recommendations
5.1 Overview
Based on the data collected and the analysis made for this review, certain conclusions about
the current National Model UN conference have been made and some recommendations
are suggested for the UNA-China and AHRC to consider. The conclusions and
recommendations made address the review questions set in the Case Study Review
methodology and plan (Refer Attachment 4).
The conclusions presented in this section are made based on information obtained from the
selected small group of Chinese and Australian students who participated in the 2014
Nanjing conference and the Chinese Faculty staff. Australian Faculty from the UNSW also
made some inputs by email18. It is relevant to note that the Chinese students came from five
different universities selected by the UNA-China because of their long experience in Model
UN conferences and the students were studying in a range of faculties. All but one of the
students had prior experience of MUN conferences and some had previously participated in
national and international level conferences. The four Australian students are all Law
18
Detail of the demographics of the respondents is provided in section 4.
24
students and none had prior experience of a MUN conference. The four Chinese university
staff hold positions in the university – two are in administrative / student support roles and
two are academics (post graduate student and a lecturer).
The overall conclusion of the reviewer is that from the perspectives of the participants the
purpose and objectives of the Model UN conference are being fulfilled. There is evidence
that the activity is supporting the strategies of the HRTC Program, in particular through
creating opportunities for advocacy and increasing awareness and introducing new concepts
in human rights. It also offers an important platform for networking and exchange between
Chinese students and Faculty staff from different universities across China and with some
representatives of Australian universities. The expertise of staff from the Australian Human
Rights Commission contributes to the content and process of the activity, which conference
participants recognised and appreciated. There are some areas of the conference that all
participant groups consistently identified as being factors that weaken the quality of the
conference process and create risks in terms of achieving the purpose and objectives set for
the activity. More details of the conclusions reached through the case study review are
provided in this section of the report.
5.2 Conclusions
5.2.1 Motivation and Expectations of Student Delegates
The expectations that students articulated prior to the conference of being keen to
broaden their views on international human rights issues and understanding more
about UN systems and processes align with the purpose of the national MUN
conference and with the reasons this activity is currently supported through the
HRTC Program.
Chinese and Australian students are motivated by a range of similar reasons to
participate in the Model UN conference. These reasons align well with the purpose
of the MUN conference and the strategies of the HRTC Program. Both groups of
students are strongly motivated to gain new and additional skills and knowledge that will
help them in their academic studies and future professional careers. Through participation in
the conference they are seeking to broaden their knowledge and awareness on international
issues. An important aspect at a personal level is to meet like-minded people and form new
friendships.
Chinese students expect that participating in the conference will assist them in their
university studies and provide them with academic advantages over their peers who
did not participate. In particular the students expect to improve their research, analytical,
problem solving and communication skills. A strong motivator to participate and an
important expectation is that their confidence and abilities in English language will improve.
Chinese students expect that participating in the conference will assist them to
broaden their knowledge and perspectives on international human rights issues. This
will take place: through the research done on the human rights issue being discussed; by
considering the subject being discussed from the perspective of another country and culture;
and through discussions that take place with other team members and delegates at the
conference.
25
The Australian students expect to gain insights into Chinese culture and perspectives
on human rights and to form links that may continue in the future with the Chinese
conference delegates. The students recognise the importance and relevance of Australia
and China’s bilateral relationship. By participating in the conference they are interested to
seek greater understanding and stronger ties with China.
The Australian students expect that their experience as delegates at the conference
will assist them in their future profession and career interests in international law and
human rights. They expect that future employers will see the value in their experience in
this type of international forum and that the practical experience of applying their theoretical
academic knowledge will benefit them in their professional ambitions.
5.2.2. Benefits and Gains From the conference
All participants (students and faculty) identified personal benefits gained from their
attendance at the conference. The expectations of the Chinese participants (both
student and Faculty) were overall fulfilled.
All participants identified the
participation of the delegation of Australian students as a positive feature. Their
participation was felt to have added value to the conference through the different
perspectives that they introduced and opportunities for bilateral cultural exchange.
The experience of the Australian delegates at the conference exceeded their
expectations.
Participating in the conference helped Chinese students to gain new skills. They
particularly noted additional research skills, analysis, presenting reasoned arguments and
confidence and ability to communicate in English had improved.
Chinese students are now more aware and interested in international, political and
human rights issues. Many are now motivated to continue to learn and participate
more in these areas. Students were introduced to new issues and concepts. They
appreciated the experience of completing their own research and analysis on the human
rights issue topic and the practical application of their knowledge in a simulation of the UN
system. This experience has motivated many of the students to pursue and continue to
engage in these issues further through their studies and / or through personal extracurricular activities, and for some to try and pursue a career in human rights and / or in the
UN.
Chinese and Australian students expressed interest and commitment to be more
practically involved in the area of the human rights of older people within their own
families and communities. This is as a result of researching the topic and becoming more
aware of its relevance and importance as a current and future priority social and human
rights issue.
The Australian students were very positive about what they gained from participating
in the conference and their experiences far exceeded their expectations. The students
were very positive about a number of aspects of their experiences. They particularly
identified highlights being: the working relationships and friendships formed with other
delegates and with their own team; and learning how to operate in (navigate discussions and
negotiations) in a very different cultural context.
The conference provides opportunities for Chinese Faculty staff and for their students
to: extend their knowledge; build new networks; and work more collaboratively within
their university and with other universities. The staff identified a number of ways that
26
their own understanding about human rights, and about the UN had increased and
strengthened. The Faculty whose academic area is in international relations felt the
experience will influence and benefit their professional work.
The participation of the Australian teams was beneficial and there is interest in more
teams from Australia and other countries in the Asia region being part of future
conferences19. The Chinese students and Faculty staff expressed that the participation of
the Australian students added value to the content discussed and the integrity and
commitment to the processes of the conference in simulation of UN procedures was
appreciated. The Australian students gained from the experience. In particular they learned
more about Chinese perspectives and experiences of human rights issues. The presence of
the Australians at times successfully moderated the tendency of some teams to focus
strongly on the competitive element rather than promoting the UN processes. The team
also introduced concepts about human rights and international institutions that were
previously not familiar to many of the Chinese students.
5.2.3. Commitment to Take Actions
There is evidence that some students who participate in the Model UN conference
are motivated by their experience and as a result have been motivated to take up
different actions in support of human rights. The scope of this review and the data
collected limits the extent to which conclusions can be drawn about the actions that
have taken place as result of previous students’ participation20.
The conference has helped to stimulate and motivate some of the participants to
take a greater interest and to commit in the future to be more active in support of
human rights issues. These actions relate to: continued enquiry and engagement in
international human rights through their academic studies; in their future professional work;
and some plan to take action to raise awareness or practically assist and support people
who may be excluded and are unaware of their human rights.
There is some evidence that past delegates have taken up action in the area of
human rights (examples of volunteering and internships). There were relatively few
examples were given by respondents of these types of actions21. Some students have
engaged with other students about their experiences and shared information on human
rights topics discussed at the conferences. Some have been have been successful in obtaining
internships with the UN in China.
5.2.4. Quality of the conference
Certain factors were identified that have diminished the quality and potential benefit
that the current conference has offered participants. Student delegates and Faculty
felt that the large number of university teams participating and the over focus on the
competitive aspects of the activity by many delegates detracted from the integrity
and authenticity of the conference being a forum that aims to provides participants
19
Noting that additional teams from other Asian countries would have to be funded by sources other than the
HRTC Program
20
The focus of the review was on current student delegates and few responses were received from past
delegates means that there is little evidence upon which to make valid conclusions
21
The limited number of examples reflects more the challenges in the review methodology rather than indicating
that past delegates have not taken action
27
with the experience of being part of a genuine simulation of a UN process. The
requirement that English is the only official language of the conference limits
participation by some students with strong expertise and interest in human rights but
do not have sufficient skills in English.
It is positive that there is a growth in the number of participating university teams,
but it does create a risk in relation to maintaining the quality and integrity of the
conference. The current structure of the conference and the number of days allocated
makes it difficult for delegates to have sufficient time to speak in the committees. Many
delegates felt that this depleted the opportunity for them to practice their presentation skills
and gain experience that will help their confidence and improve their skills in English
language. Because of the limited time available to speak some delegates felt it diminished the
commitment of some teams to genuinely follow and simulate UN processes, which overall
depleted their experience and the value of the conference.
There is a risk that there is now too much emphasis on the competitive aspects at the
expense of retaining a balanced focus on the conference where participants can
practically experience simulation of the UN’s processes and systems. All participants
felt it was important that there is some sort of competitive element and that there is public
recognition (through awarding prizes) of the skills and contributions made by individual
participants and delegates. However, it was felt by review respondents that the prestige and
benefits that award winners receive, and the criteria used by judges to assess the award
winners has some negative implications on how some students participated in the
conference. Some delegates felt that this diminished their experience of the conference and
the extent to which their expectations had been met.
English being the only official language for the conference creates barriers for
participation by some Chinese students – for example those who are majoring in law,
international relations or political science and do not have sufficient level of English
language skills. Some of the university Faculty felt that if more students studying law,
human rights and international studies participated in the conference, it would help to
increase the overall standards of the conferences’ content and processes. The diversity of
Faculties being represented in the teams was viewed as positive and should still be
encouraged.
5.2.5. Reliance on a Single Funder
Currently the Australian Government through the HRTC Program is the sole
supporter of the National Model UN conference
The reliance of the UNA-China on the support provided by the HRTC Program, and
the Australian Government as the sole funder creates some concerns and risks for
future growth and sustainability of this activity. The reliance on one donor limits the
resources that may be available to support the ambitions that the UNA-China has in relation
to future expansion of the scope and scale of the activity. It also creates a risk in the case
that the priorities and the level of funding available through the Australian Government for
the HRTC Program for this type of activity is reduced or ceases in the future22.
22
Noting the recent announcements (December 2014) by the Government of Australia of a reduction in the
budget of Australia’s Aid Assistance program, and the new policy direction announced in June 2014
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5.3 Recommendations
The reviewer suggests the following recommendations are considered by the UNA-China
and the AHRC. They are based on the review findings and conclusions presented in the
previous sections and consideration of the advice provided by the review respondents on
ways to strengthen future National Model UN conferences (refer section 4.7)
5.3.1 Number and make up of Participants
The UNA-China considers a maximum number of participating university teams in the
in the current format of National Model UN. This ideally should be no more or even
fewer than the number that participated in 2014 conference.
If the number of participating teams remains the same or continues to increase that
UNA-China considers how to alter the conference format and explores whether it is
feasible to extend the number of days for the conference. This will help ensure that the
delegates have sufficient time to properly participate in the conference.
The AHRC (through the HRTC Program) should continue to support the participation
of an Australian team, and if resources are available consider extending the
opportunity to at least one more team. This may be by an additional team from the
UNSW or from another Australian university. It may be worthwhile to consider involving
participants from Faculties other than law, which the AHRC with the UNSW can facilitate.
The UNA-China considers inviting some teams from universities in other Asian
countries to participate in the conferences. To further broaden cross-cultural exchanges
between participants and increase opportunities for networking.
The UNA-China includes Chinese as one of the official language used in the national
conference. This may increase the opportunities for a wider range of Chinese students
interested and studying human rights and international affairs to participate.
5.3.2 Balance the Competitive Aspects with the Objectives of the
conference
The UNA-China reviews the categories and criteria of the awards currently given to
delegates and participants to ensure that they align with the objectives of the
conference. This should help reinforce behaviors by delegates that fit with the purpose of
the conference.
The UNA-China reviews the format and structure of the conference to ensure it
supports and aligns with the categories and criteria for selection of awardees. This
will help to ensure that delegates have a fairer chance when competing and that the
competitive element does not detract and helps to reinforce the purpose of the conference.
5.3.3 Resourcing and Support of the conference
The UNA-China and the AHRC explore opportunities for co-funding from sources
other than the Australian Government. Diversifying funding will reduce the risks
associated with reliance on a single donor. It create opportunities to increase the scope of
the conference activities and enable re-allocation of some of the current level of resources
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to support other activities of the UNA-China that are of mutual interest and fit with the
priorities and strategies of the HRTC Program.
The AHRC through the HRTC Program explores other ways that Chinese students
may be supported to participate in Model UN conferences in Australia. This may
strengthen further the exposure of Chinese students to a broader range of ideas on human
rights and given the students a chance to participate in a different cultural setting. It would
provide an opportunity for more Australian students to meet and work with Chinese
counterparts with a shared interest in human rights.
The AHRC, UNA-China and the UNSW explore options for strengthening
opportunities for exchange and networking between Australian and Chinese Faculty
staff at the Model UN conference. This may be through formal meetings and seminars
between Faculty staff on topics of mutual shared interest.
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