Winning Awards at 2024 CDMUN GBA Conference

On January 30-February 2, 2024, three students from Grade 5 and Grade 6 of Benenden Bilingual School Guangzhou (BBSG) took part in the China Daily MUN GBA Conference hosted by China Daily. Oliver S (G5) won the Best Paper Award, while Ms. Ding, a teacher of Social Studies, received the Best Coach Award. BBSG was also honoured with the Best Organisation Award.

Oliver S, Aden W (G5), and Ryan W (G6) were members of the BBSG Model United Nations CCA (MUN CCA) with excellent performance. Before the winter holiday started, they spent three weeks preparing for the event, including analysing background documents, drafting national statements, and setting up a vocabulary pool for speech and debate. During the four-day event, they acted as “junior diplomats”, engaging in discussion on artificial intelligence (AI), nuclear issues, cybersecurity, UN peacekeeping operations, digital economy, and other global topics, with around 400 students from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and elsewhere nationwide.

As the representative of the Kingdom of Belgium in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Oliver's clear logic, thorough research, and excellent MUN documentation skills made his paper stand out among over 400 documents. He said, “By taking part in the MUN, I’ve gained a profound understanding of the crucial role of the United Nations in safeguarding world peace and facilitating international cooperation. The experience has deepened my understanding of international politics, economics, and culture and fostered my communication, collaboration, and organization skills.”

The other two students also excelled in speech and debate. Ms. Ding was proud of their performance, “they are one of the youngest participants, and it was their first time taking part in the MUN GBA Conference.  With sufficient preparation and hard work, they successfully presented their views of international issues with patriotism, global horizon, and respect for the different perspectives of delegates of different countries, and demonstrated their talent in cross-cultural communication.”

In the regular MUN CCA activities, students discuss international affairs and are trained in MUN procedures in both Chinese and English, enhancing their skills in public speech, debate, negotiation, and writing, especially their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Participating in the regional competition was a "trial run" for the students and a valuable experience.

Will a “UN Conference” be hosted in BBSG? Let’s wait and see!