FISMUN III – A Success Once Again !
FIS's third year of passionate debating
Just a few weeks ago, FIS saw its third iteration of its inter-school MUN conference take place. Named FISMUN III, the conference brought together over 200 delegates from various schools across Hong Kong to our TKO campus. From our school, both streams were represented with students from Y7/6ème to Y13/Terminale. All together we spent a weekend debating, negotiating, and discussing some of the world’s most pressing issues. This year's conference was a renewed testament to the hard work and dedication of our student body and faculty.
MUN simulations immerse students in real world issues
During our simulations we engage in diplomacy, negotiation, and problem-solving just like real-world diplomats, discussing authentic world issues. Various topics were defined and made available for all levels of debaters. Here are some of the topics we had the chance to discuss at FISMUN III:
- Addressing the Kashmir Conflict
- Addressing the Marginalised Rights of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar
- Addressing the Economic Inclusion of Refugees
- Addressing the Drug Crisis in the Middle East
- Evaluating the Ethical, Social, and Environmental Concerns Regarding Asteroid Mining
- Addressing the Effects of Sunspot Merging and Solar Flares
- Addressing the Exploitation of Developing Nations by Multinational Corporations
- Increasing Access to Safe Abortion
- Evaluating the WHO's response to infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa
We were privileged to welcome honourable and inspiring guests
We were honored to have Deputy Consul General Mr. Hubin from the French Consulate as our guest speaker. He shared about his experience in international relations and his journey working as a diplomat. He also spoke about having an open mind towards the UN and global politics as a whole. His insights inspired delegates and we appreciate his time and valuable contributions to our event.
We would like to extend a warm thank you to Mr. Maniska, our Head of School, for his support of our conference and growing MUN within our school. We asked him for his feedback post-event and here is his heartfelt answer that we couldn't keep to ourselves:
What an honour to have been invited by our FISMUN secretariat to attend the Model United Nations (MUN) 2024 conference. I was incredibly proud of our hardworking, articulate and devoted FIS students who very successfully organised and led this event for over 240 students in Hong Kong.
The Model UN simulations engage hundreds of thousands of students each year around the world, helping them to learn more about the principles of the UN and how it functions. Beyond an exploration of the UN charter, however, lies an amazing learning experience and an outstanding example of what educational leading light Michael Fullan has identified as the 6 Cs of 21st century learning: Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity, Character, Citizenship and Communication.
We know that our students will be stepping into a very complex and unknown world; a world in which many of them will be in occupations that have not yet been created, solving global problems that have not yet been articulated. It is for this reason that I was so proud of our FIS Model UN secretariat as I believe they are extremely well-prepared for this future world that will be theirs to navigate and lead. #ProudToBeFIS
The FIS Model UN secretariat also invited Mr Benjamin Hubin, Deputy Consul General from the French Consulate in Hong Kong, to talk about the UN and his experiences as a diplomat. His thought-provoking speech was followed by a Q&A session during which the conference delegates posed insightful and challenging questions. It was a wonderful expression of our cultural Frenchness and globally-minded strategy.
Finally, a very big thank you to the adults who supported the MUN team: Madame Coupat, Mr Williams and Mme Le Dorner.
FISMUN is shaping our responsible leaders of tomorrow
FISMUN III not only provided a platform for participating delegates, beginners and advanced alike, to debate and negotiate but also fostered collaboration, critical thinking, public speaking, research, and teamwork. This experience not only enhances our understanding of global affairs but also develops empathy, cultural awareness, and leadership qualities.
At the end of the two days, delegates walked away with new experiences, new memories, and new friendships—some even won awards for their outstanding performance. We look forward to building on this success in the years to come and continuing to host iterations of FISMUN.
A special shout-out goes to the FIS students who took on the challenging roles of chairs during the conference. Their leadership skills were on full display when guiding delegates during committee sessions. Your hard work did not go unnoticed, and you can be proud of your achievements.
Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to making FISMUN III such a memorable experience!
