Model EU simulation sends 3 students on free study missions

The third edition of the Macau Model European Union (EU) took place at the University of Macau (UM) over the weekend, with over 56 students from the six local tertiary institutions participating in the conference.
The participants were a mix of undergraduate and postgraduate students of 12 different nationalities. The top three participants were awarded free study missions to Europe for the summer of 2016, funded by the European Union Academic Programme in Macau. The three students all hailed from the University of Macau: Lin Shixiang, Liang Jianwei, and Flaminia Venturi – an exchange student from Italy, currently studying at UM.
This year’s theme was the unprecedented migration crisis currently affecting Europe. Participants in the weekend’s debates reached a consensus on the topic and identified potential solutions, such as strengthening external border controls, enhancing financial support to UN bodies for refugees, and adopting common legal instruments with which to fight illegal smuggling and human trafficking.
The 56 participants were selected from a total of 160 applicants from Macau’s six institutions of tertiary education: UM, University of Science and Technology, Macau Polytechnic Institute, University of Saint Joseph, City University of Macau, and the Institute for Tourism Studies.
The event was co-organized by the European Union Academic Programme of Macau (EUAP-M) and the Youth Association of International Affairs of the University of Macau.
Model EU is an educational simulation in which participants recreate the political decision-
making processes of a European Council, in order to learn about European politics and current affairs. The simulation helps students develop their diplomacy, debating, public speaking and negotiation skills.