Model G20 vs Model UN

1|knovva.com
Model G20 vs. Model UN:
What’s The Difference?

When the first Model United Nations was held at
St. Lawrence University in 1949, the students who
participated began a tradition that would teach countless
others the power of what could be done when humanity
works together. In time, it became not only a cherished
extracurricular activity but in some schools, part of the
curriculum itself.
As the world grew smaller, more complex, and more
interconnected in the latter half of the 20th century, new
types of international organizations were forged to meet
emerging challenges. At the turn of the third millennium,
the 20 largest economies on Earth came together for
the first time to serve as an economic council of wealthy
nations. This informal forum, the G20, provides a rare
platform for governmental leaders to gather and discuss
issues of mutual concern.
As the G20 augments the good work of the United Nations,
so too does the Model G20 provide high school students
with an invaluable opportunity to supplement their
regular classwork and even their Model UN experience.
With Model G20, students learn 21st century skills, meet
and collaborate with peers from around the globe, travel
to some of the most exciting cities on Earth, and have
exceptional access to experts, entrepreneurs, innovators,
and professors from the world’s top universities.
Model G20 vs. Model UN: What’s the Difference?
How Model G20 Complements and Extends the Traditional Model UN Experience
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Model G20 Model UN
Program Length 3-12 days 1-2 days
Geographic Scope Global Local
In-Program
Leadership
Seasoned educators Undergraduate
students
Areas of Emphasis Collaboration, negotiation, 21st century
skills
Resolutions,
motions, speeches
Expert Access Keynotes from high-profile leaders,
educators, and experts
Minimal guest
exposure due to
limited time and
budgets
Exclusivity Participants hand-selected from global
pool of applicants
Open to anyone
Pre-Event Prep Six-week online course and interaction
with fellow participants via online forum
Varied; sometimes
none; sometimes a
pre-program brief
Non-Academic
Enrichment
2-3 days exploring the world’s top cities
Social and cultural events specific to
each global location
Opportunity to live and learn with
students from around the world
Minimal
Post-Event
Follow-Up
Online discussion forum with global
community
Local school clubs
In-person alumni events
None
Model G20 vs. Model UN At A Glance
Model G20 Model UN

While Model UN and Model G20 share similarities,
there are also significant differences between the
two programs.
Each Model UN conference is autonomous,
often run by a group of college students with an
interest in the field. The caliber of the programs
varies widely, so it can be difficult for parents
and educators to gauge whether the price tag
associated with the conference is worth the
programming, education, and experience their
students will receive. Knovva Academy’s Model
G20 summits, on the other hand, are always run by
professional educators with decades of classroom
experience.
The prep work for each program varies as well.
Some Model UN conferences provide study
guides for students to review before arriving.
Others may ask delegations to produce a position
paper in advance of the conference. These pre-
program elements are not required however, and
their educational value is dependent upon the
undergraduate students who produce them.
Prior to attending the Model G20, students take
a six-lesson online course that exposes them to
the leading geo-political issues of the day and
provides all attendees with a common vocabulary
to use at the summit. This multidisciplinary course,
Living in a Connected World, was designed by
curriculum development experts to teach 21st
century skills through modules on politics, the
economy, culture, and the environment.
The online community discussion board is an
essential part of the Living in a Connected World
experience and allows students to meet other
Model G20 attendees from around the world.
This enables them to not only collaborate on the
pre-summit coursework, but also to establish and
nurture relationships with the peers with whom
they will negotiate at the Model G20.
Before the Event:
Building Knowledge and Community

Keynote Speeches from Experts are an Integral Part of the Model G20
A Sample of Speakers from the 2019 Beijing Summit
Eugene Scott
Political reporter, CNN
Nicolas Miailhe
Co-founder, YesEuropeLab
Amy Smith
Professor, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology
MacArthur Genius Grant winner
Rolando Lozada
Chief of the Consular Section
Peruvian Embassy, Kuwait
At the Model G20: An In-Depth Immersion in Global Diplomacy
Typical Model UN conferences are held over a weekend. Before beginning, students may
receive a quick overview of the General Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, how to draft a resolution,
or the duties and responsibilities of the UN Secretary-General.
Model G20 summits run for nine or 12 days, offering enough time to train students in the
competencies needed for success at both the Model G20 and in life. Not only do they get
three full days to engage in a realistic G20 simulation, but they also have several days of
comprehensive workshops and classes modeled after the curriculum of the Kennedy School
of Government at Harvard University.

To round out their classroom experiences, attendees hear
global policymakers, academics, and business leaders give
keynote addresses. Speakers are chosen for their expertise
and influence in the fields and industries that are the focus
of the individual summits: global health, renewable energy,
economic development, global innovation, and more.
Model UNs, on the other hand, usually only last for a day
or two and run on a shoestring budget. As a result, many
do not have the time or resources to present high-caliber
speakers. Even if they do, students typically do not have the
opportunity to engage with them.
Model G20 changes that. Heads of state, CEOs, and
professors from top universities around the world are all
part of the standard Model G20 program. This privileged
access to world-class thinkers gives students a huge head
start before entering into the G20 simulations.
By the time the Model G20 simulation begins, students
have been coached in public speaking, team building skills,
and how to collaborate and network globally. Throughout
the experience, students apply core communication skills
to high-level research and global problem-solving.
Attendees learn to ask diverse and generative research
questions, explore the challenges of cross-cultural
communication, engage in diplomatic negotiations, create
and deliver speeches, and lead their teams through rapidly
evolving challenges.
The unpredictable and immersive simulation puts students in the roles of diplomatic representatives
and country leaders of nations around the world. They are presented with pressing social problems and
country-specific information and are tasked with negotiating favorable outcomes. Students interact
with one another through structured forums, informal dinners, research sessions, and press conferences.
The summit concludes with a structured debrief, crafted in collaboration with faculty from the Harvard
Kennedy School, in which students reflect on the personal relationships built, the international policy
expertise acquired, and the diplomatic lessons learned. When students return home, they do so with a
multidimensional view of the issues at hand.
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Collaboration, Negotiation, and Relationships
Model UN and Model G20 differ not only in the type of programming offered,
but also in style. Fashioned in the post-World War II era, the procedures of both
the United Nations itself and its model versions reflect the formality of the era.
Robert’s Rules of Order rule the day and guide the many speeches, motions,
and resolutions with which delegates engage.
Conversely, the ministerial working group sessions attended by Model G20
students, reflect the interpersonal and less formal nature of the actual G20
summits. In contrast to the competitive nature of a Model UN, the Model
G20 is inherently collaborative. Students spend less time giving persuasive
speeches in front of large audiences and more time negotiating one-on-one
with other delegates. The goal is not to get your resolution passed over that of
another country’s, but to work together to craft an agreement that benefits all
concerned.
Just as in real life, resources are limited at the Model G20. Small nations vie
for economic development investments from larger nations, and the 20
nations who make up 90% of the gross world product must decide where
their investments can have the greatest impact. Deals are made not in a large
general assembly, but through direct conversations.
As a result, not every small country is going to walk away with the economic
investment they were seeking and not every G20 member will be able to take
advantage of all the opportunities available to them. This forces both sides to
strategize and prioritize on which bilateral and multilateral agreements they
wish to pursue to best meet the needs of their assigned nation.
Freed from the constraints of parliamentary procedure, this more informal
approach promotes diplomacy through interpersonal connection. Delegates
must use more creativity when deciding whom to approach and how to
navigate an ambiguous space. With fewer rigid procedures in place, students
draw upon the soft skills they learn during the academic days to reach their
objectives.
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A Truly Global Program for Today’s Interconnected World
One of the biggest differences between Model UN and Model G20 is the
geographic scope of the program. At a typical Model UN conference, students
compete against other delegates from their school, district, or occasionally
region. Model G20 summits are designed to be as multicultural as the
institution they emulate. Fellow delegates won’t be from the school or even
the town over, but from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Australia, or one of the more than
20 other nations represented at the summit.
As a result, the delegate representing Russia may be from Brazil and the
delegaterepresentingJapanmaybefromItaly. Asizablesubsectionofstudents
come from elite schools in the United States and China, giving attendees the
opportunity to network and make friends with a diverse cohort of peers during
a variety of shared experiences.
Summits are designed to build community among as many delegates as
possible by gathering them together multiple times each day in groups both
large and small. Students have the chance to meet hundreds of others outside
of their country or ministerial group for keynote speeches, tours, and other
activities. At a Model UN, students usually only gather as a large group once at
the beginning and once at the end.
In a rapidly shrinking global society, it is more important than ever for young
people to be able to communicate with those from different lands and
cultures. The training delegates receive consists of not just how to speak in
front of a large group, but also how to live and work with those from different
backgrounds. The heterogeneity of cultural norms proves to be instructive for
students in sessions, during meals and other unstructured time, and even as
they learn to share a hotel room with someone whose customs differ from
their own.
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More Than Just an Academic Experience
The students who attend the Model G20 summits are smart, motivated, and
committed to working towards a brighter future.
To encourage them on their path to becoming global leaders, Knovva Academy
provides up to $100,000 in awards at the end of each summit to students who
have distinguished themselves either individually or as a delegate. The idea
that actions have consequences is one of life’s most important lessons, and
Knovva Academy is proud to help teach students that great things come from
studying and working hard.
Finally, Model G20 enables students to explore some of the world’s most
dynamic cities and cultures. In Beijing, students visit the Forbidden City and
sample local cuisine. At the Boston summit, students travel the Freedom
Trail and discover what life is like for students at Harvard University. And in
Cambridge, students enjoy a Harry Potter-like experience complete with a
formal dinner. These experiences enhance students’ relationships, cross-
cultural understanding, and global perspective while providing well-earned
opportunities to relax and have fun.

Model G20 Alumni Attend:
Harvard University
Peking University
Columbia University
Massachusetts Institute
of Technology
Tsinghua University
University College
London
The Model G20 experience continues long after students return home. After a summit, students are
encouraged to not only keep in touch with their new friends but also to continue their discussions
through group chats, online discussion boards, and in-person events. Delegates can also start or
continue Model G20 clubs in their high schools to further extend their community. Many participants
come back to attend another summit as a delegate or student ambassador.
The culmination of the MG20 program is the Model G20 Task Force. Each year, 20 distinguished
students are hand-selected to attend the Y20 summit, the official youth gathering of the real G20
summit. At the Y20, two youth delegates from each member state meet in the host city in advance
of the arrival of the heads of state. After discussions and negotiations, they arrive at fair, creative,
and representative solutions to the issues under discussion that are then presented to their national
leaders. Task Force delegates study the issues and produce position papers for consideration by the
Y20 delegates and other international nongovernmental organizations such as the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development.
MG20 alumni are also invited to take more of Knovva Academy’s online courses. There, students
undertake diverse research and project-based learning activities, engage with cross-disciplinary
content, and explore pressing issues with their peers from around the world.
After the Summit: Inspiration, Understanding, and Friendships That Last a Lifetime

College, Career, and Beyond
Model G20 attracts, nurtures, and creates the type of well-rounded
students that top colleges and universities seek out. The complex
skills required to succeed at a Model G20 force students to apply their
learning in new, creative ways. Model G20 attendees return home more
comfortable engaging with new people, situations, and perspectives,
and as better problem solvers who can think beyond the textbook.
Model G20 alumni not only present themselves to the world as leaders
in the making, they also show institutions of higher education that
they have pursued other interests and gained life skills in addition to
earning good grades. They demonstrate that they can steer their own
ships in an unpredictable and sometimes turbulent world and come
out stronger on the other side.
Above all, students who attend Model G20 summits prove that they
are true global citizens: capable and resolved. They understand the
connections between their own lives, actions, and backyards, and the
global world in which they live. Most importantly, they prove themselves
determined to apply their learning to address the world’s most pressing
and urgent issues.
Model G20 vs. Model UN: What’s the Verdict?
Much has changed since the United Nations first convened in 1946.
The world has grown more complex and more connected, with equally
dynamic skills, knowledge, and experience required to navigate it. Both
Model UN and Model G20 give high school students the opportunity to
engage with this complexity in a meaningful way.
So which is “better?” Neither, and both. The right program for your
high schooler depends on his or her specific circumstances. For many
politically-minded students, participating in both events can be an
excellentwayofexperiencingdifferentprogrammingandcommunities,
and discovering the unique benefits of each one. Model UN and Model
G20 complement each other by offering decidedly different paths to
supporting the leaders of tomorrow.
The Model G20 from Knovva Academy provides exceptional students
with the skills, training, and confidence needed to lead in the 21st
century. Taken alongside Model UN or on its own, Model G20 is a truly
immersive experience that alumni never forget.

Model G20 vs Model UN

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