Congressman Dan Kildee, Flint Mayor Dayne Walling, Dr. Carrie Walling of Albion College and Kettering University President Dr. Robert McMahan will deliver keynote addresses at the opening ceremonies of the inaugural Model United Nations (U.N.) Competition on Saturday, May 2 at 9:30 a.m. in the Campus Center at Kettering University.

“We are honored to start a new Model U.N. tradition at Kettering with our esteemed keynote speakers,” said Michael Graham, President of the Kettering University Model United Nations team. “We hope this will be an opportunity for students to improve their public speaking and negotiation skills and to learn more about critical international problems and the related governmental processes necessary to solve them.”

The Model U.N. conference will explore the following issues: The rise of ISIS, the global financial crisis in 2008 and the hypothetical impending war in the Korean peninsula. Committees made up of 13 members each will represent the following countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Germany, Nigeria and Iran. Each committee will have two hours for each of the three issues to present their assigned country's stance and negotiate an agreement.

All Kettering students are invited to participate in the competition. Participants will have an opportunity to practice and improve upon their public speaking and negotiation skills by presenting on an issue from the point of view of an assigned country.

The Kettering University Model United Nations (KUMUN) team has participated in international conferences across the United States. In February 2015, KUMUN was recognized for its efforts representing the United States on a commission on the use of science and technology for the purposes of development at a conference at Harvard University. It was the first year that they won an award at that competition.

“We want to share what we learn during these competitions with the greater Kettering and Flint communities,” Graham said. “Model U.N. competitions provide us with incredible experience and knowledge by putting global issues at the forefront. We want to discuss those issues in Flint.”

KUMUN is in the process of recruiting Kettering students as well as high school Model U.N. clubs in Genesee County to participate in the competition. Registration for the competition is free.  To sign-up for the competition, email KUMUN at kumun2015@gmail.com.