The rise of Model United Nations in Pakistan

KARACHI: Few years back hardly anyone knew what MUN was. The rising trend of participating in an MUN stems from the lack of recreational activities available to the youth in Pakistan and the increase in competition to obtain higher education abroad. In countries such as the US or the UK, the youth are provided plenty of activities which they can pursue in order to fill up the ‘extra-curricular’ side in their university application, even if it’s not for university application, a child still has plenty of activities which he can try out in order to find out where his/her talent rests and where they find happiness in what they are doing.

What Pakistani society doesn’t understand is that science has already proven that children are more hormonally charged than adults and need to use their time and energy in some way. Along with this, universities across the world have realised that it doesn’t take much to be smart in our standardised courses for subjects which every school system follows the world over.

However, it does take determination and talent to be good in an extra-curricular activity and those are the type of students which the top universities are looking for. They’re looking for those students who can do more than trying to memorise a textbook throughout the day.

This is where MUN comes in, it provides a gateway for students to use time while at the same time universities also prefer having students with good public speaking and debating skills and who are politically aware. It also attracts those students who want a platform to express their voice and opinion.

The rise of MUN is one which I enjoy seeing. It has not only captured the youths’ intereste in global affairs but has also given them the chance to compete with foreign students who have their applications completely fortified with multiple extra-curricular. It’s a platform which I believe every single student should try once. Who knows, you might be the next best delegate.

Ammar Raza

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2016.

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