Model UN grows at SIS

It is a real treat for our MUN enrichment students to attend various Model United Nations conferences throughout Europe and as far as across the Northern Atlantic Ocean, but to be a guest at our very own conference is a blessing! The latest SISMUN edition proved to be a real hit, and the inclusive structure of the conference makes it unique, standing out from the others on the circuit. 

A full school day in the MYP has always been dedicated to the SISMUN cause, where all the students from grades 6 - 11 participate. Mini-MUN has a slightly different structure where grades 6 and 7, traditionally, have remained in their set classes and used the month of January in both IandS and Science to prepare for the topic to be debated on the day.

The grade 6 students eagerly prepared for “Our Planet”, climate changes that affect the world around us, and what we can do to minimize the effects. Meanwhile, our grade 7 students focused on their topic, “Diets and Digestion”, noting that a person’s health is influenced by cultural and conditional changes to diet.

The more senior part of SISMUN saw the students of grades 8 - 11 mixed up entirely and then placed into two United Nations committees, UNHRC (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) or DISEC (Disarmament and International Security Committee). Across these two dedicated committees, approximately 14 groupings of around 20 students were made, all allocated countries, and each grouping had 3 inspiring, educated, and empathetic chairpersons - organisation and collaboration at its finest!

The students in the DISEC arm of the United Nations dedicated their Friday to finding resolutions to the very real and ongoing threat of cyberwarfare and the non-stop cyber attacks happening daily on a global scale. The other committee, representing UNHRC fought for the displaced people and refugees of Sub-Saharan Africa and brought to light the urgency for education, employment, and social services for these masses. The numerous debates, conversations, and resolutions proposed were diplomatically robust and constructive and it was amazing to see and hear our students of today and leaders of tomorrow break new ground, not to be forgotten by all.

Friday evening and Saturday saw the external SISMUN come to the fore with its opening ceremony and mingle, with two other Stockholm schools joining our 50 MUN enrichment students that SIS boasts. Futura, the international campus, and SSHL from Sigtuna brought in 30 students making this the best-attended external SISMUN conference post-Covid. This combination of students was spread out over the 3 committees declared for the conference, ensuring rigorous and insightful debates were held with various positions stated, all in the name of coming together and moving forward with sustainable resolutions. The breakdown of these committees explored reforming the existing UN Security Council (UNGA), the ongoing exploitation of migrant workers in the Middle East (ILO), and wound back the clock to 1967, through the United Nations Historical Committee, in attempting to prevent the Nigerian ‘Biafra’ civil war from gaining momentum.

The aim next year will be to have a few more schools attending SISMUN, growing this event. 

A special mention and acknowledgment must go to the DP1 and 2 students, under Malene Schmidt's guidance (DP MUN Coordinator), who organized both SISMUN events along with Mini-MUN from start to finish:

Grade 11’s - Chiara Fidone, Ryan Xu, Ashwika Sharma, and  Daksh Padmannavar

Grade 12’s - Noah Ringscok, Kate Lenehan, Nick Budampati, Aaryan Budhwar (secretary general), David Lubin, and Maria Reyes.

A thank you to my MUN enrichment team of Margit McLaughlin and Emily Brunt for helping to prepare the students for Saturday’s SISMUN and thank you also to Gunjit Sethi, Dean of Students, for her continued interest and support for the MYP MUN enrichment program!

Sean Logan
MYP MUN Coordinator

WHAT OUR STUDENTS THINK ABOUT SISMUN 2025

Chiara Fidone - organising committee. Grade 11:

Organising this year's SISMUN 2025 was a collaborative effort that required careful planning and coordination to make sure that our school and international conference ran smoothly. As a member of the DP1 MUN board, my role involved chair training students as well as chairing myself to ensure that both new and experienced delegates were well-prepared. Before the conference, I worked closely with the leadership team to create resources such as slideshows, attendance sheets, and procedural guides, helping streamline the conference. During the event, we divided responsibilities, with each chair managing different sessions while maintaining communication to ensure consistency across committees. Our teamwork allowed us to handle challenges efficiently, such as guiding inexperienced delegates and adapting to different debate dynamics. Overall, SISMUN 2025 was a successful and rewarding experience that strengthened my leadership, problem-solving, and collaboration skills!!

Ryan Xu - organising committee. Grade 11:

Being a part of the SISMUN25 organisation committee was an exceptionally rewarding experience for me. It has taught me to be adaptive and attentive while strengthening my collaboration and organisational skills. I believe that both the internal and the external conference went smoothly, and I am glad that the guests from Futura and SSHL enjoyed our conference. It was a pleasure to work with everyone within the organisation team to craft SISMUN25, and I hope this year's conference will be a stepping stone for SISMUN to grow bigger.

Daksh Padmannavar - organising committee. Grade 11:

For the first time in a long time, SISMUN 2025 was open to other schools marking an important year for the future growth of this conference. The entire process of organising the conference was a logistical nightmare. However, with the commitment and perseverance from all board members, chairs and supervisors we can confidently say that this year's conference was a resounding success. As a chair I personally observed a lot of great debate from all participating schools and I'm looking forward to SISMUN 2026. 

Roshan Shah - Enrichment MUN student. Grade 9:

SISMUN was great. My committee, the UNGA, debating the topic of the reformation of the UNSC, was never at rest. Constant debate and active participation was always prevalent in the room with a slight sense of humour that lightened the mood as well. Overall, the debate was fun, the conflicts were great and two (not so great) resolutions were passed and it was a really fun experience overall.

Zachary Jaremko - Enrichment MUN student. Grade 9:

As an advocate for MUN at SIS, I had the privileged opportunity to participate in both the international SISMUN and the school MUN the day before. At the in-school conference, I had my first experience being a Chair, which was both rewarding and challenging. These experiences are meaningful to me, as they highlighted the crucial niche roles within a committee conference and displayed a new perspective on MUN as a whole. Stepping into the Chair position deepened my understanding of the parliamentary procedure and leadership and reinforced my passion for Model United Nations; I learned so much listening to the debate in 7p on their malnutrition-related topic. I also recommend other like-minded students take on the role and chair as soon as possible.

Aaryan Budhwar - Secretary General Grade 12:

Organising SISMUN 2025 was a collective effort involving all the board members. This year was special as we reopened our MUN conference to other schools for the first time since the pandemic. From securing our new venue to arranging guest speakers, delivering presentations for Mini MUN, and conducting our weekly chair training, every board member played a vital role in ensuring the conference's success. Throughout this process, Ms. Schmidt's guidance was crucial in keeping everything on track. The teamwork and adaptability of the secretariat, along with the commitment of the organising committee members from Grade 11, contributed to this year's conference being a success.