Baylor Students Receive Awards at International Conference

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Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321

WACO, Texas (Aug. 25, 2017) – Members of Baylor Model United Nations were honored this summer at the International Model United Nations Conference in Vienna, Austria.

Three Baylor students received the top award of "Outstanding Delegate" from the five committees simulated at the conference. Three other Baylor students received honorable mentions in their committees.

Model U.N. conferences give students the opportunity to perform the activities of real diplomats. Students were tasked with representing a nation’s points of view on topics including human trafficking, cyber security, violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and sustainable energy. Conference staff selected students for awards based on their overall impression of how well students presented a nation’s point of view in oral debate, formal negotiation and research.

“I am just beyond proud of them. They work so hard,” said Rebecca Flavin, Ph.D., senior lecturer of political science and advisor for Baylor Model U.N. “Summer is typically a time for rest and relaxation and they were really working hard to research and write about pressing global issues. They’re just a pleasure to work with.”

This was the first conference Baylor Model U.N. attended outside of the United States and Baylor was the only university from the Unites States in attendance.

“The students had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with people from outside their culture and outside their country and this deeply enriches the already wonderful educational experience of a Model U.N. conference,” Flavin said.

Houston senior David Deulofeu participated in the Human Rights Council representing Germany. He said Baylor Model U.N. has taught him how to be diplomatic and exposed him to people’s ideas from different parts of the world.

“It’s setting me up for the future to be a decent human being, to be able to work with people who may have completely opposite views than I do and still reach some consensus and middle ground,” Deulofeu said.

Deulofeu said winning the awards demonstrates that Baylor students are capable of competing on an international scale.

“The fact that we were able to be competitive and not a single one of us went without recognition was amazing and speaks volumes as to how Dr. Flavin and our university prepares us for these kinds of events,” Deulofeu said.

by Joy Moton , student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

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