Harvard National MUN

Applications for our delegation to Harvard National 2024 are closed!

Background

The Harvard National MUN conference (HNMUN) is the most competitive conference Leiden MUN attends. HNMUN is nearly as old as the United Nations itself, and is considered to be the founder of the Model United Nations concept. It was with great excitement that Leiden MUN, in its 19th consecutive year, flew overseas to attend this highly competitive and intense conference in February 2023.

HNMUN is known for its size and high level of debate. Around 3500 students, from all over the world, attend this conference, resulting in committee sessions with up to 400 participants. Such large committees require rigorous attention and participation, which is why we expect dedication and motivation from our delegates throughout the entire Preparatory Track.

Despite that fact, the Leiden MUN Foundation welcomes a variety of applicants from a vast scope of academic and professional backgrounds. Every applicant possesses the potential to bring forth a unique talent and to contribute to our delegation by making it a more diverse and capable community.

What we look for is a strong sense of ambition and a willingness to learn.

Preparatory Track

Our Preparatory Track leading up to the conference means that whether you have no previous MUN experience or are an MUN veteran, you will be prepared to face HNMUN. Our Prep Track includes Skills Labs, where we train delegates in skills such as public speaking, negotiation tactics, research, and resolution writing each Tuesday night. Moreover, we have Mock Sessions every Wednesday evening, where you will represent a UN Member State and debate with your delegation on a given UN issue. Finally, our Prep Track includes the Personal Development Programme (PDP). Here, each delegate is individually mentored by an experienced and skilled Delegate Trainer. In addition to improving your MUN skills, our focus is also on developing skills as a young professional.

The programme we provide is of high quality and will demand perseverance. This does not mean that you need an MUN background in order to apply. We are looking for students that have the motivation and interest to engage in international relations and affairs.

Being a part of our Harvard delegation includes more than our Preparatory Track and trip to the conference. Before travelling to the United States, will visit several embassies in The Hague where you can engage with diplomats on the topics you will discuss at Harvard as part of our Professional Networking programme. Last year, we visited the embassies of the USA, Bangladesh and Taiwan’s Representative Office, and for this year, several embassy visits are planned.

Upon arrival in New York City, we will also visit New York prior to the start of the conference! Previously we have visited the UN Headquarters and the Dutch Permanent Mission to the UN, amongst others. You will also have time to bond with your delegation and explore the beautiful cities of both New York and Boston.

Leiden MUN in New York City

During our time in New York City, the Leiden MUN Foundation will tour the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Visiting the United Headquarters (UNHQ) allows our delegates to establish a realistic perspective of the internal mechanisms that shape the United Nations; it is an opportunity for delegates to truly understand the global order from the vantage point of the world’s most consequential leaders.

Our external sessions in New York City provide the perfect opportunity for our delegates to engage in networking activities with established diplomats and other officials. A further part of this component includes a seminar with representatives of the Dutch Foreign Ministry during which our delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions concerning the daily challenges that diplomats encounter. This experience provides ambitious students with a greater understanding of the political world and as a result, could present itself as the first stepping stone towards a career within international diplomacy.

We also recognise the importance of winding down and enjoying the scenery. Delegates will have the chance to explore the city on their own initiative amidst their spare time! Many of our delegates describe visiting New York City as an exhilarating experience that is made even more enjoyable in the company of a supportive team and group of friends.

Practicalities

IMPORTANT: Preparatory Track Schedule & Locations

Due to an excess number of student organizations in The Hague, reserving rooms in Wijnhaven now comes at a cost. To avoid raising our fees, we have shifted our sessions times and locations:

• November & December @ Leiden University’s Pieter De la Court building in Leiden

  • 7:45pm-10pm for Skills Labs

  • 7-10pm for Mock Sessions

• January @ Leiden University College in the Hague

  • 3:00-6:00pm for both Skills Labs and Mock Sessions

    • NOTE: Students are required to be back in the Netherlands from the 9th of January onwards in order to attend in-person training sessions. We will deny applicants who are unable to make this commitment.

• Feb (To be decided) 

Personal Development Scholarship to HNMUN 2024

The mission of the Leiden MUN Foundation is to make the experience of attending a MUN conference as accessible as possible. Sadly traveling to a conference comes with a price, and it sometimes means that not everyone is able to apply to become part of one of our delegations.

Therefore, the Leiden MUN Foundation is beyond excited and grateful to announce that this year we are able to offer a partial scholarship position to one student! The delegate fee of the awardee of the scholarship will be deducted by €800 to attend HNMUN 2024 and participate in our Preparatory Track. We are able to offer this scholarship position thanks to the generosity of our alumni donors. If you are considering to apply for the scholarship, please keep the following things in mind:

• The application deadline is the 3rd of November at 23:59. Late applications will not be accepted. If you are selected for an interview, be aware that our interviews will take place on Friday evening the 17th of November.

• You can apply for our scholarship position by filling out our motivational questions and by uploading your CV through this link.

It is important to know that it is not possible to apply for both the scholarship position and a full-price position on the delegation. If you are rejected for the scholarship position you will not be offered a full-price position on the delegation. There is an opportunity to pay in installments, both for the remaining delegate fee after the scholarship reduction, and for the delegates that pay the full fee. Keep in mind that due to payment deadlines, the Foundation can offer a limited number of installment positions and installment payments.

We are excited to offer this opportunity and can not wait to see your application come in!

Testimony by Franz Baumann: