Thirty-five students from Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic participated in the Regional Academy on the United Nations (RAUN) and presented their papers on issues of security, nuclear safety and disarmament, as well as on the environment and the UN in the 21 st century at the Vienna International Centre (VIC).
Launched in January 2012 as a programme of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) Vienna Liaison Office, in cooperation with the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and the Czech United Nations Association, the Regional Academy on the United Nations (RAUN) aims to assist students of international relations and related fields in deepening their knowledge of the United Nation's mission, values and work.
Partner institutions of the RAUN include the University of Vienna, the Prague University of Economics, the University of Szeged, the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, the European Peace University, the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
In their papers, the students discussed the following topics:
The presentations were followed by a panel discussion and feedback from various experts, including ACUNS Executive Director Alistair Edgar, as well as the RAUN country co-ordinators Radim Srsen (Czech Republic), Aniko Szalai (Hungary), Billy Batware and Michael Platzer (Austria).
The students received certificates handed over by UNIS Vienna Director Janos Tisovszky and ACUNS Executive Director Alistair Edgar. The best papers - "Nuclear safety and nuclear energy in the 21st century", "Failed states - How the United Nations should deal with them" and "Climate refugees in the 21st century" - received an award.
Further information.
