The rights of Indigenous Peoples and sustainability of the environment will be the focus when MacEwan University hosts NMUN•Canada 2025, in partnership with the world’s largest, most prestigious and longest-standing intercollegiate Model United Nations organization.
An estimated 300 student delegates from universities around the world will come together in Banff during the last week of November 2025 for a Model UN simulation focused on a variety of issues affecting Indigenous populations and communities.
“The selection committee was particularly struck by the care taken by MacEwan University to connect local issues, such as First Nations reconciliation, water management and conservation, to global concerns for the environment and Indigenous peoples as proposed topics for the simulation,” says Michael Eaton, Executive Director, National Model United Nations (NMUN).
MacEwan’s kihêw waciston Indigenous Centre will support the NMUN project and play a critical role in the planning process, ensuring the event engages with Elders, is grounded in Indigenous ceremony, and includes neighbouring communities in Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
“MacEwan University is thrilled to be selected as the host university for NMUN•Canada 2025 and to have the opportunity to help engage students from around the world in dialogue about Indigenous topics in a meaningful way,” says Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor. “This exceptional undergraduate learning opportunity will foster global connections, focus on Indigeneity and reconciliation, and work toward reconciliation and sustainability – all key parts of our university’s vision for the future.”
MacEwan University is a long-time participant and supporter of NMUN. Since 2003, the university’s Model United Nations Club students, under the guidance of Dr. Chaldeans Mensah, have attended NMUN conferences annually in New York, Washington D.C. and locations around the world. They consistently perform at the highest level, receiving multiple awards for Outstanding Delegation, NMUN’s highest honour, which is awarded based on criteria including outstanding collaboration, preparation and participation.
NMUN conferences are cooperative, hands-on, experiential learning opportunities. Each student delegation is assigned a UN member state and, as a group, writes and submits position papers reflecting their state’s position on the conferences’ topics, proposing new policies or programs.
“Students at NMUN•Canada 2025 will experience the challenges of international negotiations, develop an appreciation of differing viewpoints, appreciate the value of cooperation, broaden their worldviews and discover the human side of international relations and diplomacy,” says Eaton. “Partnering with NMUN to host an international student conference demonstrates MacEwan’s strong commitment to the shared goal of achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Four: ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”