【2015/01/24-25 (Event Summary)】Asia-Pacific Model EU Conference 2015
Asia-Pacific Model EU Conference 2015
| Date | 24-25 January 2015 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Waseda University, Building 26, Room 802 |
| Guest speakers | Opening remarks-Prof. Norimasa Morita (Vice President for International Affairs, Waseda) -Prof. Tamio Nakamura (Director of EUIJ Waseda)Keynote speech -Dr. Albrecht Rothacher (Minister-Counsellor, EU Delegation to Japan)Closing remarks -Prof. Toshiro Tanaka (Keio University; Governor of EUSI Tokyo) -Prof. Masahiko Yoshii (Kobe University; Vice President of EUIJ Kansai) |
| MC | Dr. Martin Chung (Hong Kong Baptist University / EUAP) and Prof. Paul Bacon (Deputy Director of EUIJ Waseda) |
| Language | English |
| Hosted by | EUIJ Waseda, in partnership with the European Union Academic Programme Hong Kong |
| Participants | c.a. 45 |
On a sunny day in Tokyo, 20 students from 6 universities, as well as faculty members, gathered to attend this international conference. Eminent speakers from the EU Delegation to Japan, and Keio, Kobe and Waseda Universities graced this occasion, while highlighting the added value of the teaching method of simulation, with special reference to Model EU conferences.
Day 1
10 pairs of students from six partner universities – Waseda University, a consortium of Hong Kong-based universities, the University of Kent (the UK), Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Fudan University (China), and the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) － played the roles of selected EU member states’ Head of States and Foreign Ministers, and simulated a European Council meeting. Based on position papers prepared beforehand, the delegates had a very intensive discussion over the question of whether the EU should increase, maintain and decrease the level of sanction against Russia with regard to the Ukrainian issue. The negotiation took place not only during the official discussion sessions, but also during breaks in an informal way.
Day 2
While on the first day the delegates focused on principles and core messages to be addressed to Russia and Ukraine, the second day was geared towards precise wording of the final resolution. With outstanding creativity and communication skills, the member states managed to articulate a collective statement, despite their diverse opinions.
The simulation of a press conference hosted by associated faculty members gave an opportunity to the participants to deliver their most important messages of the resolution in a clear and concise manner. To put the icing on the cake, judges strictly evaluated the performance of the delegates and celebrated award winners in front of cameras.
Through an active engagement in the 
process of drafting the European Council resolution, the Head of States and Foreign Ministers greatly improved their negotiation and presentation skills as well as their knowledge about the EU foreign policy vis-à-vis Russia and Ukraine. This conference will be hosted annually by the EUAP at Hong Kong Baptist University from 2016 onwards.
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