Knowledge Management in Model United Nations

Model United Nations (MUN) is an academic simulation of the United Nations. During the MUN conference, students take on the role of ambassadors of different countries and debate, negotiate and tackle the actual agenda topics currently or previously being addressed at the United Nations (Phillips and Muldoon 1996, p. 142). Hundreds of thousands of students worldwide take part every year at all educational levels. In fact, I used to be one of them.

Looking back on my university days, Model United Nations activities are the most colorful part of them. I have participated in different MUN conferences in various roles including delegate of regular committees and Main Press Center, Dais Member, Dais Head, member of Organization Committee, Secretary General, etc. This experience has given me different insights into international relations and precious friends in my life.

As an academic simulation activity, sometimes even used as an experiential learning method, MUN requires not only great enthusiasm but also a wealth of knowledge. That’s why knowledge management exists and is significant in every process of MUN conferences.

MUN: A Student-centered Community of Practice

COP refers to "groups of individuals formed around common interests and expertise" who learn together and share with each other (Wenger, 2002). Although not from the same organization, MUNers do this. They come together in 3-5 day sessions, and learn, discuss, share, cooperate and even argue with each other to solve global challenges. 

Their discussions are not limited to the speeches and caucuses at the conference (as in the case of the United Nations General Assembly), but the pre-session preparation, tea breaks, and social events are all good times for exchange. Some of the discussions start even before they meet. Similarly, knowledge is transferred between them in various forms such as statements, pages, working papers, draft solutions, etc.

As the MUN conference came to an end, so did this student-centered COP. Another MUN conference is a new beginning. In a sense, I see it as a community of practice with a fluid nature that allows students to gain stronger knowledge and richer communication opportunities.

Academic "Cosplay": Active Knowledge Acquisition and Creation 

One of the crucial elements of the MUN conference is the sense of immersion which is the key to more active knowledge acquisition and creation.

When you’re a student, serious and integrated knowledge of international relations can be boring. But assuming you're a diplomat, things are completely different. It is important that you have to know as comprehensive as possible about the economic, political, and cultural aspects of the country you are a delegate of in order to react appropriately at international conferences. After all, behind diplomats there are national interests and the people of a country.

What motivates students in such an academic role-play is therefore curiosity and responsibility. When they mine for knowledge and construct their own knowledge maps with critical thinking, both knowledge acquisition and knowledge creation are more interesting than in traditional educational approaches.

Furthermore, in order to avoid making ridiculous statements at the MUN conference, student delegates find ways to verify information and ask for confirmation. They have to make the journey from information to knowledge themselves, which is a very rewarding process of building their own knowledge management system.

Conflict: Effective Knowledge Sharing

Cooperating and Conflicting are known to be two important forms of international relations, and the same goes for MUN. In MUN conferences, participants share knowledge anytime and anywhere. One of the interesting things I found when reflecting back on my MUN experience is that conflict often promotes knowledge sharing.

Let's get to the real scene.

It was my first MUN conference, the committee was the UN Security Council and the issue was the Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts(ISIL). When discussing the efforts to counter the threats, the use of the word "ISIS" by the delegate from Egypt was strongly protested by the delegate from the United States. 

The delegate from the United States insisted that "ISIL" was the more appropriate term because the name "ISIS" first belonged to a goddess before it was used by a terrorist organization and was then preferred by many women. He argued that it was offensive to Western women to use ISIS to describe a terrorist organization (deliberately omitting geopolitical considerations, of course). It is also true that many women whose name is Isis are outraged and have collectively petitioned the media to use the term "ISIL".

This conflict involves cultural differences, political positions, geopolitical relations, and many other issues. In this case, all participants are brought into the scenario to think about unnoticed issues and the knowledge sharing becomes effective and memorable.

Draft Solution: Knowledge Application and Storing

At the end of the meeting, delegates are asked to submit draft resolutions and to vote on them in a plenary session to decide whether or not to adopt them. Throughout the conference, they must debate, consult, persuade and even compromise to ensure the final adoption of the draft resolution.

In the process, they receive perspectives from others and develop tacit knowledge of communication skills, negotiation skills, etc. during the caucus, which they internalize as they participate in the resolution. In a way, this is also an application of the SECI model. MUN conference becomes an excellent "Ba".

As students attend more and more MUN conferences and can even mentor their juniors, more and more explicit and tacit knowledge can be transferred and preserved through the background documents (which are distributed to delegates about a month before the conference starts) and inspire more MUNers.

Finally, I would like to end with a question and answer session.

At one of the MUN conferences I attended, the then Chinese Ambassador and Senior Official of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) XIE BOHUA was invited to be the guest of honor at the opening ceremony. My senior asked him a question. "Perhaps most of us will not be involved in diplomatic work in the future. What can we do if we are still passionate about international relations?"

And his answer struck me.

He said: "Whatever you try to do well in your field will be the backbone of diplomacy".

I think it is the same with knowledge and knowledge management.

Wherever and whenever you acquire it, whether it seems useful or not, the knowledge and the KM methods will be part of the strength of our life. 

Reference

Calossi, E., & Coticchia, F. (2018). Students’ knowledge and perceptions of international relations and the “Model United Nations”: an empirical analysis. Acta Politica, 53(3), 409–428.

Phillips, M.J., and J.P. Muldoon. 1996. The Model United Nations: A Strategy for Enhancing Global Business Education. Journal of Education for Business 71 (3): 142–146.

Wenger, E., McDermott, R. A. (Richard A., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice [electronic resource] : a guide to managing knowledge. Harvard Business School Press.