A 15-member Syracuse University student delegation represented Pakistan at the fall 2026 National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference in Washington, D.C., earning an Honorable Mention Delegation award. Jack Levin and Emilia Monroy-Horts, who represented Pakistan on the Security Council, earned an Outstanding Position Paper award for their committee.

The conference gives college and university students the opportunity to take on the roles of diplomats, debate international issues and work with other delegations to develop resolutions. Representing Pakistan, Syracuse students participated in seven committees addressing issues ranging from international security and economic development to human rights, migration and the environment.

The delegation was led by student head delegates Yana Ilyagueva and Alexa Marie De Los Santos and accompanied by Adrienne Kinne, a history doctoral student and instructor for Syracuse’s Global Governance Practicum.

Through the practicum, students prepared by researching Pakistan’s policies and its role in the United Nations, developing position papers and practicing speeches and negotiation. The conference challenged them to translate that preparation into diplomatic engagement, working with students representing other countries to find common ground.

“Pakistan’s place in regional and international politics is often overlooked and misunderstood,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history and chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program. “Participating in the Model UN team provided the students with a unique opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of how middle powers navigate the international arena and can extend their influence globally.”

The delegation included:

• Aman Adamjee, a sophomore studying international relations
• Kallean Michael Beebe Read, a sophomore studying sport management, finance and global political economy
• Gage Blevins, a sophomore studying history and international relations
• Alexa Marie De Los Santos, a sophomore studying international relations, political science and global security studies
• Francesca Liliana Elizardo-Dutson, a sophomore studying communication and rhetorical studies and international relations
• Yana Ilyagueva, a junior studying finance and international relations
• Kathleen Grace Jones, a sophomore studying international relations, political science, atrocity studies and the practices of social justice, and Spanish
• Ben Kramer, a junior studying law, society and policy; and policy studies
• Jack Levin, a junior studying international relations, finance, and French and Francophone studies
• Megan Mills, a sophomore studying international relations
• Emilia Monroy-Horts, a junior studying business analytics and international relations
• Jackson Thomas Phillips, a junior studying international relations
• Devin Symonette, a sophomore studying international relations
• Sophia Grace Taliaferro, a junior studying international relations and law, society and policy
• Brianna Varona, a sophomore studying international relations

Syracuse University will participate in the National Model United Nations conference in New York City in spring 2027.