Education | Model EU to be held this weekend

The Macau Model European Union will be held this weekend at the University of Macau (UM), bringing together 56 undergraduate and postgraduate students from six Macau tertiary institutions.

The two-day event, held tomorrow and Sunday, will see participating students divided in teams of two, with each team representing one of the 28 member states of the European Union (EU). Students will discuss the consequences of United Kingdom’s recent decision to leave the EU bloc.

The event is open to the public and will be held in the Senate Room (Building N6 – Administration, Room G010) at the UM. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday and will conclude at midday on Sunday, according to a statement from the organizer, the European Union Academic Programme – Macao (EUAP-M).

The top three students in the simulation will be awarded a free study trip to Europe, while four runner-ups will receive cash prizes. An additional cash prize will be awarded to the students that draft the best position paper on the discussion topic.

Model EU is an educational simulation in which participants recreate the political decision-making processes of international organizations within the 28-member bloc, in order to learn about European politics and current affairs. The simulation helps students develop their diplomacy, debating, public speaking and negotiation skills.

Established in 2012, the EUAP-M is a partnership between the UM and the Institute of European Studies of Macau, which is co-financed by the EU. According to a statement from EUAP-M, the event serves to bring attention and knowledge of the EU closer to Macau’s general public and students of all levels.

The participating institutions are UM, City University of Macau, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macau Polytechnic Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, and the University of Saint Joseph. DB