On October 24, the opening of the III Regional “UN Model - 2023” (with international participation) took place at Penza State University. Colleagues from Polessky State University (Republic of Belarus) took part in the event. The conference lasted for three days - from October 24 to 26.

UN Model is a simulation of activities of the existing international body of the United Nations. The participants had to try themselves as delegates. The conference is implemented within the framework of the project “Introduction of a gamification tool (UN Model of PSU) in the process of forming the patriotic consciousness of university, college and high school students.” The “UN Model” project is the winner of the “Rector’s Grants” competition at PSU.

“Penza State University first initiated such a project in 2012. Since then, the topics have changed, but interest in the event remains, so its holding has become a tradition. Inclusion in the principles and values of the United Nations is ensured through the relevance and significance of the selected topics,” noted Gleb Sintsov, Doctor of Law, Professor, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of PSU, who was at the origins of the project.

The meeting was attended by college and university students, international students from Polessky State University, as well as students from Penza schools.

The students were greeted and wished productive work by Alena Gusevaj, Deputy Director of the Institute of Law Institute for Research Work, Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor, scientific supervisor of the project; Evgenia Kazakova, Head of the Department of “Private and Public Law”, Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor; and Olga Filenkova, Head of the Research Sector of PSU students. The conference was held under the careful guidance of another scientific supervisor of the project - senior lecturer of the Department of Private and Public Law Daria Stepanova, the expert was the senior laboratory assistant of the department Vladislav Suslov.

“The atmosphere in the hall was hot, but friendship and mutual understanding did not fade into the background,” shared Alena Guseva.

The goals of the UN Model meetings are: developing the principles and values of the United Nations, increasing political literacy among young people and ensuring dialogue between students from different countries. At the event, participants act as representatives of different countries.

“The event was held at the highest level! I really liked everything, I especially liked interacting with delegates from the Republic of Belarus,” said Valeria Penkina, a student at the PSU Multidisciplinary College.

Delegates participating in the UN Model were able to practice not only their oratory skills, but also demonstrate their research competences. Before participating in the competition, they had to do a lot of work. It was necessary to study a foreign country, whose interests were to be protected. They had to study its geographical location, get acquainted with the history of the country, with politics, find out what position this country occupies in the UN, what is its attitude to Russia.