6th Tsukuba English Model United Nations (TEMUN)

Tsukuba English Model United Nations (TEMUN) took place in the Tsukuba campus in December 2017, with the topic "Sustainable Development of Food," related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More than 140 students inside and outside of the Tsukuba campus participated in TEMUN and adopted resolutions made from their debates at the end of the conference. Mr. Mbuli Charles BOLIKO, Director of the FAO Tokyo Office, attended the TEMUN symposium along with three other scholars of the University of Tsukuba as guest speakers, to explain to the participants about real food issues in the world.

The 6th season of Tsukuba English Model United Nations (TEMUN) took place on 1?3 December 2017 in the International Conference Room of the University Hall of the University of Tsukuba. About 140 students inside and outside of Tsukuba campus (83 international students from 40 countries, 53 students of other universities, 13 high-school students) participated in TEMUN 6.

Model United Nations is a conference in which students discuss agendas being actually covered by UN bodies in playing a role of delegate of a country. Participants bring information researched by themselves about the agenda and carry out discussions in making out a draft for resolution texts, which will be subjected to a vote at the end as in a UN-type conference. Each year TEMUN deals with an agenda related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by the United Nations.

This year's agenda is "Sustainable Development of Food" with the Food and Agriculture Organization as a target UN body. TEMUN includes a symposium in which participants listen and ask questions to experts and scholars having specialized knowledge on the agenda. The guest speakers of TEMUN 6 are Mr. Mbuli Charles BOLIKO, Director of FAO Tokyo Office and three other scholars of the University of Tsukuba, and the participating students had a lively exchange of views and opinions about food issues with them.

Since the implementation of TEMUN in the year 2012-13 in our university, undergraduate as well as graduate students of the whole university can take the credit-earning course of TEMUN, and all kinds of students, regardless their scientific and literary majors, and those inside and outside of Tsukuba take part in TEMUN each year. Recently more and more high-school students who are interested in world matters of the international community and/or global issues join TEMUN.

In the cross-boundary and humanities-science integrating Bachelor Program in Global Issues (BPGI) which started in October 2017, TEMUN will be part of the courses and attract more and more participation.