Five University of Westminster students took part in the annual British International Studies Association (BISA) Model NATO event at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 11 March 2022.
Model NATO brings together 15 universities from across the UK in a day-long simulation of a crisis scenario, allowing participating students to gain insights into the world of diplomacy and international negotiations. The crisis this year consisted of multiple earthquakes across the eastern Mediterranean and south-east Europe, resulting in significant loss of life and mass displacement of populations, and the students had to agree on a coordinated response.
Each student was given a NATO member to represent and had done research on the country’s resources and political positions prior to participating in the session. Lucas Iacuzzi, Politics and International Relations BA Honours student, and Shaida Studer, International Relations BA Honours student, represented Montenegro, while Becci Dugale, International Relations BA Honours student, Emylia Ellaryan, International Relations and Development BA Honours student, and Karlis Starks, from the Politics and International Relations BA Honours course, represented Slovenia.
Talking about the event, Magdalena Frennhoff Larsén, Assistant Head of School at the School of Social Sciences, said: “It is a fantastic way for students to develop their diplomatic and strategic thinking skills, but also to engage with peers from other universities. Our Westminster students performed absolutely brilliantly!”
Karlis Starks said: “Being a person whose dream it is to work at NATO, this event was absolutely amazing. The amount of things I learned and the fun I had definitely made all the hard work worth it.”
Emylia Ellaryan commented: "Even though this was my first time participating in such an event, this hands-on experience allowed me to get a better understanding of how NATO operates and responds to crises. Model NATO gave me the opportunity to work with other young, driven students eager to hone their international negotiation and problem-solving skills.”
Lucas Iacuzzi added: “It was amazing to be able to participate in Model NATO. Representing Montenegro on the North Atlantic Council has given me a new insight into both the nature of international relations and how NATO as an alliance functions, and it has boosted my motivation to further my interests and studies in global security. I would highly recommend this event to any students interested in IR or global security”.
Read about student Becci Dugale’s account of her experience at the event and find out more about Model NATO on the BISA website.
Find out more about Politics and International Relations courses at the University of Westminster.
