PSIA Excels at 9th Model UN Conference
Written by Hailey Walter, PSIA Communications Intern
On March 17th, 2026, the Gainesville campus hosted UNG’s 9th Annual Model United Nations (UN) Conference. 67 students of different majors participated from UNG’s Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses. They represented 21 different countries collaborating on this year’s topic of "Addressing the Rights of Migrants and Freedom of Movement”.
PSIA’s Dr. Chand (Gainesville) and Dr. Miner (Dahlonega) took charge of this valuable, annual opportunity for UNG students. Dr. Chand shares how: “The students did a wonderful job of engaging with the topic of the conference and did so following the professional parameters of the Model United Nations. Special shoutout to the Dais for smoothly running the conference as it was their first time doing it.”
As part of the inaugural leading Dais, Sofia Quiros has participated in Model UN in the past and found the event vital in developing key research and public speaking skills she has used beyond the event. Elizabeth Chirillo, representing South Korea, received the opportunity to put her skills to the test and won one of the Best Delegate awards for the conference.
Dr. Miner remarks on the monumental success of the conference as it afforded students of many different majors to put their skills to work in negotiating “solutions to a serious 21st century global issue: migration. Twenty-one different countries, representing all the world's continents, endeavored to find solutions to ease migrant transition to a new home, protect their human rights, and support housing, employment, and daily nutrition requirements for the many tens of thousands of people displaced around the world.