The fourteenth session of HSINMUN marked its second year of THIMUN affiliation, and the conference officially began at the sound of the Secretariats’ gavel. In 2018, HSINMUN expanded into an international conference, with the attendance of Ritsumeikan-Uji Junior and Senior High School from Kyoto, Japan. IBSH’s Principal Roger Lee kicked off the conference by delivering a heartfelt speech, encouraging participating students to make the most of the unique opportunity at IBSH, which was then followed by a presentation from the keynote speaker, Dr. Ryan Engen, an official from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Engen shared his views regarding current trends in the global arena, pointing out that as we reach the peaks of white male privilege, the Westphalian state, and globalization, an immense transition of global power towards Asia is beginning to occur. In the spirit of creating impact through Model UN, Engen inspired the participants with the closing remark: “Become an Ambassador for the world you want to live in.”

In October of 2019, IBSH hosted another conference: HSINMUN XV. The fifteenth session of HSINMUN was the largest conference to date, with about 500 delegates, student officers, and advisors from more than 20 schools across Asia. With larger committees and an inclusive representation from member states, delegates were able to immerse themselves in a global experience and consider the perspectives of countries that are less frequently represented in MUN conferences. We had the honor of inviting Mr. Cédric Alviani, the Director of the East-Asia Bureau of Reporters Without Borders, as our keynote speaker this year. As an experienced journalist, Mr. Alviani provided students with a deeper understanding of our theme for this year: Globalism versus Nationalism. With the rise of nationalism in many countries such as the United States and the Philippines, the theme is highly relevant to the issues that our increasingly interconnected world faces today.

In 2020, the Secretariat team decided to continue the tradition of hosting the annual conference, despite the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19. Ensuring effective communication and sanitation policies, HSINMUN XVII was a success. Though lunch was much different than before, with social distancing requirements, plastic separation boards, and designated seating, the debate quality and engagement at HSINMUN remained top-notch. This year, our keynote speaker Ms. E-Ling Chiu, Section Director of Amnesty International Taiwan, shared her perspective on government controls to slow the spread of COVID-19, police violence surrounding Hong Kong protests, and her experiences working for non-governmental organizations for human rights issues. Apart from shedding light on relevant current events and specific fields of expertise, Ms. E-Ling inspired students to communicate and devise specific resolutions to solve global issues.

For more information: HSINMUN website