Into international politics with the university

Magdalena Oertel & Marcus Dörfel

Magdalena Oertel and Marcus Dörfel are no strangers to disenchantment with politics. They are travelling to New York with 16 other TU students to take part in a simulated UN conference from 20 to 24 March. They have returned with honours several times in a row. In our maker interview, the two tell us what is special about the student project on the international stage.

You will be taking part in the NMUN Conference (National Model United Nations) in New York in March as a student project at Chemnitz University of Technology. What are you doing there?
Magdalena-Oertel: We are taking part in a simulation game at the United Nations. We have been assigned the Republic of Chad, a landlocked country in Central Africa. We take on the roles of diplomats and will try to represent the country's political positions in various UN committees in the best possible way.

What do you have to bear in mind?
Magdalena Oertel: A lot. There are rules that stipulate how to speak and how the conference is organised. We have to master the diplomatic language. There is also a code of conduct and a dress code.

Are only students taking part in the conference?
Marcus Dörfel: The conference is organised by an association that is also accredited by the United Nations. This means that the topics covered are of current importance to the United Nations. The participants who give the speeches and carry out the actual work of the conference are all students.
Magdalena Oertel : So-called MUNs, or Model United Nations, are organised in over 40 countries with pupils and students. The conference in New York, the NMUN, is the oldest, it has been organised since 1945. It is also the most professional because it is the only one that is also organised by the UN itself. And it is also simply the largest conference, with more than 6000 students now travelling to New York.

Many a student would have learnt how to tie a tie during the project, reveals Magdalena Oertel, research assistant at the Chair of International Politics at Chemnitz University of Technology, who attended a conference as a delegate for the first time four years ago and has been in charge of the project since last year. She feels comfortable in the political arena, just like her student assistant Marcus Dörfel. Both talk enthusiastically about their experiences. "After a simulation game like this, you understand better why some conflicts can't simply be resolved with a snap of the fingers," reports Marcus Dörfel and Magdalena Oertel adds: "It gives us a good insight into the life of a diplomat. This insight into practice is extremely important alongside all the knowledge from the textbooks." Chemnitz University of Technology has been sending student delegations for 13 years, making it the only Saxon university to take part in this international conference. "Given the effort that goes into it, it's no wonder," they both agree.

How did you prepare for this trip?
Magdalena Oertel: We start the selection process in June / July: We call on all students at Chemnitz University of Technology to apply, interviews are held and the group is finalised at the end of August and then meets regularly. From October onwards, the meetings are weekly. Every week, we spend several hours in the evening at the institute and start to familiarise ourselves with the UN's rules and regulations. We deal with the country that has been assigned to us and familiarise ourselves in great detail with the topics specified by the UN. We give impromptu speeches and try to practise our diplomatic English. The group then has to complete two trial simulations. This year, one of them was in Chemnitz. Based on the experiences from the rehearsal simulations, we analyse what went well and what we still need to work on in order to be well prepared for our performance in New York. We will then travel to the USA in March, visit the German Embassy in Washington, take a look at think tanks and meet diplomats from the Permanent Mission to the UN from Germany and this year from Chad in New York.

What are the current topics?
Marcus Dörfel: The UN has a "General Assembly", a kind of committee, for each topic. One is about finance, another about development aid or disarmament. All UN member states, 193 in total, are represented in the respective committee. This year, the focus will be on the refugee crisis, security policy issues and economic matters. Everything that is currently of interest to the United Nations will be discussed. The trick is to find a compromise that is fair to all participants.

How will the conference be assessed?
Magdalena Oertel: The aim is to draft a resolution that describes the topic sufficiently and yet succinctly. The UN itself is looking at the papers. When we were there for the very first time, a definition of piracy was written by students. This definition was considered so good by the UN that it was adopted. It is important to formulate the country's arguments in the way that the country would actually argue. In English, this is also known as staying in character. And it is noted how often a delegation gets involved, how often it speaks and whether it votes sensibly according to its political situation. There are observers at the conference who assess the behaviour of the participants. And in the best case scenario, it is enough for an award to be presented at the UN General Assembly.

What is the atmosphere like at the conference?
Magdalena Oertel: It is a very intensive working time and everyone grows from it. The atmosphere is an incredible experience for everyone.

Is it difficult to get students interested in politics and to organise a delegation every year?
Magdalena Oertel: Many apply every year. But the time and financial commitment involved puts some of them off. After all, the students are involved in the project alongside their regular studies.
Marcus Dörfel : Of course it takes up a lot of free time. But it has always been worth it so far. For example, the English language is developing. The students have to speak in front of 300 to 400 people and focus on the essentials in their speeches. That helps the individual enormously. And it's very exciting the people you get to know. I met a lot of people at my first conference in 2013 who I am still in good contact with today. These are people who are interested in how the world and international politics work and how we can make them a little better.
Magdalena Oertel: When do you have the opportunity to be briefed by the representative of Libya or Chad at the UN or to see the World Bank from the inside? The participants leave the project with a great deal of self-confidence.

From Chemnitz to New York - is that a culture shock?
Magdalena Oertel: At the beginning, you mainly struggle with jet lag. I wouldn't call it culture shock. But when you come back, you look forward to going home.
Marcus Dörfel : We are travelling from Chemnitz to Washington first. And although it's the capital, life there is relatively relaxed and nothing like the hustle and bustle of New York. As nice as it was in the United States, I'm always glad to come home. Here you know your way around, you know where to get something and how much it costs. It makes you really appreciate the food in the canteen.

What makes life in Chemnitz special for you?
Marcus Dörfel: It's the many initiatives and events that are organised here on campus. Whether it's the summer party organised by the student councils, sports events or the student clubs. The students are already organising crazy things on campus. I've been at Chemnitz University of Technology since 2008 and I think the development of the city, in terms of the feel-good factor and the look, is remarkable. A few years ago, the Rawema was still an eyesore. The Schocken was still empty. Today, the two buildings really make a difference. Some people think that Chemnitz is the chimney, the Karl Marx head and a few grey houses. But it's much more than that. If you take people who don't know Chemnitz into the city, show them the Sonnenberg or the Kaßberg, then there's a nice surprise effect.
Magdalena Oertel : Student life simply takes place on Reichenhainer Straße. But if people feel comfortable here, that's okay.

Do you have to encourage the people of Chemnitz?
Magdalena Oertel: I don't think you have to encourage the people of Chemnitz, they just have it. There are so many beautiful places that reflect it and you can see that in the many changes in the city.
Marcus Dörfel: Many people I know in Chemnitz are proud of their city. Everyone has two or three things that connect them strongly with the city: Whether it's the NINERS, the CFC, certain clubs or places. I think that many people can see how the city has developed.