Young students in suits are not a new sight at LAU. Its signature Simulation Models have for the past 20 years shaped generations of energetic youth who have found their footing in the world of diplomacy, in Lebanon and beyond.

One of those programs, the Global Classrooms International Model UN (GCIMUN) has become established as a prestigious global conference.

While it was initially operated by LAU’s partner, the UN Association of the United States of America (UNA–USA), the university assumed full management of the GC International Conferences in New York in 2015, thanks to its strategically located campus in the city. In 2016, LAU made history by leading the largest-ever middle-school Model UN conference in New York.

“The event is more than a conference; it’s a launchpad for global citizens,” said LAU Lead Outreach, Leadership & Empowerment (OLE) Manager Ghina Harb. “Every year, what resonates most are the stories of personal breakthroughs—students who feared public speaking finding their voice, or first-time delegates leaving as future diplomats.”

This year’s conference, held over three days on April 25 to 27, 2025, attracted around 1,000 middle-and-high-school students, who flocked to New York to participate as delegates from 13 countries. The conference’s opening ceremony was held at the General Assembly Hall of the UN Headquarters, a stone’s throw from the LAU NY campus, where 60 LAUers, including 15 alumni, had set up shop to put the final touches on their months-long preparations.

The selection of the organizers, explained Harb, was merit-based by the OLE, which considered their performance in LAU Simulation Models for a minimum of one year. The GCIMUN senior secretariat, she added, is mostly made up of Simulation Models veterans and alumni who volunteer their time and expertise.

Serving as secretary general at the conference, alumnus Karl Joe Boyajian (BS ’24) oversaw the full range of operations, from developing training materials to supervising logistics and school outreach, as well as media coverage. “From my very first exposure to MUN as a middle-school delegate,” he said, “the program has equipped me with leadership, public speaking and soft skills, instilling in me the values of diplomacy, active listening and cultural sensitivity,” all of which have been crucial in his current career as a marketing professional.

The “remarkable, family-like atmosphere that everyone helped establish” at the conference was the key highlight for GCIMUN Chief of Staff Majd Soueid (BE ’22), who currently works as a data analyst in the US.

Reflecting on his years with MUN, he noted how being surrounded by highly driven and passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds was particularly special because “it inherently motivated me to strive for personal and professional improvement.”

For Dr. Elio Tahan (BS ’20; MD ’24), who volunteered as the conference chair, the experience came full circle. “Seeing LAU student leaders, who were once high-school students in our Simulation Models classrooms, lead with such confidence and purpose reminded me of the enduring strength and success of the LAU mission: shaping the youth leaders of tomorrow,” he said.

In the same spirit, LAU Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management Elise Salem underlined how LAU students, alumni and staff convened in “the most dynamic and one of the toughest cities in the world to execute a massive, international and world-class MUN conference in less than a week.” That endeavor, she added, “is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, replete with endless hours of meticulous labor but complemented by extreme satisfaction and immeasurable impact.”

Looking to the future, Harb envisions a deeper integration for networking, such as organizing the Global Village, setting the stage for long-term partnerships, and launching more GCIMUN chapters around the world to fortify LAU Global. “Growth, to us, is not just measured in numbers; it is about impact, reach and resonance,” she said.