UST Students Make First-Ever Appearance at National Model UN Conference

This year, for the first time, the University of St. Thomas Model United Nations student team attended the National Model United Nations (NMUN) Annual Conference, March 29 to April 2, 2026 in New York, N.Y. Sponsored by the UST Center for International Studies (CIS), St. Thomas students participated in the world's oldest ongoing university-level Model UN with participants from 132 UN member states, all 50 U.S. states and 339 universities.

Dr. Tuba Bilgic, UST associate professor in the Department of International Studies & Modern Languages, is the academic advisor of the UST Model UN student club and attended alongside the students.

"It was an amazing experience for the students and I believe it is a great opportunity to promote UST," she said. "It is organized by an internationally recognized NGO formally associated with the United Nations. The UST team successfully drafted position papers and proposals that garnered sufficient support to pass."

The UST team represented Malta in the UN General Assembly and the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

UST's Head Delegate Elizza Dabrio-Leiva said she left New York with a deeper understanding of global justice and necessary communication tools to represent others in the future.

"Competing at the National Model United Nations gave me a hands-on understanding of how international policy and legal frameworks are built from the ground up," she said. "It was incredibly helpful in sharpening my analytical thinking and strengthening the public speaking skills essential for a successful legal career."

Student Diem Vuong said this experience will fuel his hope of working with the United Nations.

"Participating in the National Model United Nations 2026 taught me the importance of solidarity, discipline and effective communication within an international environment," Vuong said. "I gained a deeper understanding of how the United Nations operates and how diplomacy unfolds in practice."

Student Maceo Pizana said NMUN clarified his understanding of international diplomacy.

"NMUN taught me valuable lessons such as how to effectively debate others while considering different worldviews and different opinions regarding particular issues," Pizana said. "NMUN taught me how to debate respectfully and how to construct new rules and agendas."

For more about diplomacy at St. Thomas, read about the diplomacy competition hosted at UST.