On 24 January, Leipzig International School hosted its annual Model United Nations conference, bringing together around 50 delegates from three international schools across Saxony and Thuringia. Students from Dresden International School, Thuringia International School, and LIS gathered to simulate the procedures of the United Nations, debating two of the most consequential issues in contemporary global politics. This year’s conference was organized by Felix Schmidt, who served as Secretary-General and oversaw the full scope of planning, from school coordination and delegate registration to committee design, chair recruitment, and day-of logistics.
The Committees
Two committees sat during the conference. The General Assembly tackled the global rise in disinformation and its threat to democratic institutions, a topic that pushed delegates to weigh the tension between freedom of expression and the protection of informed public discourse. The Security Council addressed the humanitarian consequences of international sanctions regimes, requiring delegates to navigate the friction between geopolitical enforcement and civilian welfare. Both topics demanded genuine engagement with complexity. Delegates were expected to represent their assigned countries faithfully, draft clauses, negotiate during lobbying sessions, and ultimately put forward resolutions for formal debate and vote. The Security Council’s closing vote proved one of the most compelling moments of the day, drawing sharp divisions and close deliberation before a final decision was reached.
Why It Matters
Public debate on divisive issues has become increasingly difficult outside structured environments. Social media compresses complex questions into binary positions, and political discourse in many countries rewards confrontation over compromise. MUN operates on the opposite logic. Delegates are assigned countries whose positions may differ sharply from their own, forcing them to engage seriously with perspectives they might otherwise dismiss. Resolutions cannot pass without negotiation, coalition-building, and genuine listening. Both of this year’s topics sat squarely in that territory. Disinformation and sanctions are issues where simplistic answers collapse under scrutiny, and where real-world progress depends on exactly the kind of structured, evidence-based dialogue that MUN trains students to practice. In a political climate where that skill is increasingly rare, conferences like this one offer something
genuinely valuable.
Building Connections Across Schools
The conference’s interschool format remains one of its greatest strengths. Delegations from Dresden and Weimar brought different perspectives and debating styles into both committees, producing discussions that were more dynamic and less predictable than single-school simulations tend to be. For many delegates, particularly those attending their first conference, the experience of collaborating and competing with unfamiliar peers added a layer of realism that reinforced the educational value of the exercise.
Recognition
Awards for Best Delegate, Best Speaker, and Best Prepared were presented at the closing ceremony, recognizing those who demonstrated the strongest combination of research, rhetoric, and diplomatic skill throughout the day. The conference would not have been possible without the support of the supervising staff, whose guidance, flexibility, and willingness to give up their time helped create the conditions for students to take ownership of the event. While the conference is student-organized by design, the role of the teachers behind the scenes remains essential.
Looking Ahead
As an annual, student-organized tradition at LIS, the MUN conference continues to offer students a platform to develop public speaking, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving in an international context. But the ambition does not stop at hosting.
The LIS MUN club, led by its current Secretary-General, is already preparing for its next challenge: attending BALMUN in Rostock, where delegates will compete alongside schools from across the Baltic region. With a growing roster of committed members and this year’s conference as proof of what the club can achieve, the trajectory is clear.
Felix Schmidt, Grade 11
Photos: Levin Korte