Students of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) founded the United Nations International Student Conference Amsterdam (UNISCA) in 1996. These students wanted to give other students from various countries the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of international politics in general and the United Nations in particular.
Today, UNISCA is an international interdisciplinary university course worth 10 ECTS, awarded by the UvA. As for most academic courses you are required to write an essay and pass exams. Reading the literature and writing the assignments will prepare you for your participation in the UN Conference Simulation in January 2009. During the first part you will be trained in debating, lobbying and resolution writing. In the second part the actual UN conference simulation will be held. Your acquired knowledge and skills will be put to the test while you are representing a UN member state or a UN recognized organization, for which you will need to lobby and debate on resolutions in the assigned forum. The final conference day is highlighted by the General Assembly. Throughout the conference simulation, UNISCA will also provide an evening programme, in order to enable you to get to know your fellow students as well as Amsterdam’s nightlife!

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Prerequisites

The UNISCA course is open for students who have completely finished their first year and have a minimum of 30 ECTS in their second year of university. All students have to present UNISCA a transcript of grades upon registration. Students from all disciplines are welcome to participate. However, a basic knowledge of the United Nations is preferable. Since the course is held in English, a reasonable command of the English language is required.

Course payment (prices can change)
Enrollment fee + picking up the readers yourself: €98,-
Enrollment fee + postal costs within the Netherlands: € 104,-
Enrollment fee + postal costs within Europe: € 114,-
Enrollment fee + postal costs outside Europe: dependant on the country.

Payment details for national (Dutch) students:
Giro number P76.17.192. Please mention your registration number.

Payment details for international students:
IBAN: NL73 PSTB 0007 6171 92
BIC: PSTBNL21

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Assignments

Strict requirements apply to complete the academic course UNISCA. The first part of the course consists of the successful completion of two assignments, both related to the course literature, the lecture days and extra literature. The first assignment is to make a short summary of the literature, policy statements on the various issues and a draft resolution. This assignment is worth 30% of the final grade. The second assignment consists of writing an academic paper on one of the topics of the conference and is worth 70% of the final grade. The exact deadlines for these assignments will be communicated later, but both assignments need to be finished before the Christmas holidays 2008. The second part of the course consists of the actual conference. The assignments must be written in English. Students who have not completed the first assignment successfully, are not allowed to participate in the conference. Students with a final grade of 5.4 or lower (on a scale from 1 to 10) will have one chance to resubmit their failed paper before the end of the academic year.

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Study Credits

The UNISCA grading system is consistent with the system used by the Political Science faculty at the University of Amsterdam. This grading system, ranging from 1-10 (1 very poor, 10 excellent), stipulates that a 5.5 is needed in order to pass both of the aforementioned assignments, as well as to complete this course successfully. As mentioned before, students who successfully complete the entire course are awarded 10 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) by the University of Amsterdam. This means that completion of the course requires approximately 280 hours of study. If you are not registered at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) of the University of Amsterdam, you (in most cases) need permission from your examination commission or study counsellor in order to receive credits.

Many faculties in the Netherlands acknowledge the academic value of UNISCA and recognize its 10 ECTS. However, students studying at universities other than the University of Amsterdam should note that each university is entitled to award its own amount of study credits for participation in the UNISCA course. Although we welcome students from a Master degree program, it is important to note that universities acknowledge UNISCA as a bachelor course and therefore only credit the ECTS to students who are in a bachelor program. If you are not sure about recognition of the UNISCA program at your university, please contact your study counsellor or the UNISCA Foundation for more information.

If you are attending an international programme in the Netherlands (PEECH, ACCESS, UCU, International Schools, exchange programmes, etcetera) you can also register to enrol in the UNISCA course.

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Literature

As a preparation for the conference, students are required to study approximately 650 pages of literature on various topics. The literature consists of articles on the United Nations in general, as well as articles discussing the topics of the specific committee students apply for. In addition, approximately 50 pages serve as preparation for the conference debating rules and procedures. Furthermore, students are required to read extra literature for their final paper. The assignment and the final paper are used to test students on their acquired knowledge.

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Lecture Days

As an additional preparation for the conference, UNISCA organizes three lecture days, which will take place during the period October - December 2008. During these days, experts give lectures to broaden and deepen the students' knowledge on various topics. The lectures are also meant to provide information, which will help students with their final paper. The lecture days are further geared towards preparing students for their tasks during the conference. In workshops, students develop skills like lobbying, negotiating and public speaking. Finally, the lecture days are a perfect opportunity for students to meet their fellow participants. For those from abroad, who are unable to travel towards Amsterdam for the lecture days, notes will be put online.

Day 1 (fri. 10^th of October 2008):

About the United Nations in general.

Day 2 (fri. 14^th of November 2008):

About the themes. Also help with choice of topic for final essay will be provided

Day 3 (fri. 12^th of December 2008):

About the Conference. Also help with writing the essay will be provided.

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Virtual Classroom

A great deal of preparation for the conference can be done online. The UNISCA Virtual Classroom, commonly known as Blackboard at the UvA, is a key feature of the UNISCA course and is open to all registered UNISCA students. Therefore, education has no geographical barriers, and students from all over the world are able to participate in UNISCA. The virtual classroom allows you to exchange ideas with other delegates in your forum or country. This way you are able to start lobbying before the conference. In addition it serves as a resource for lecture material and provides links to external resources.
The Virtual Classroom has a central role in the communication of delegates with the academic team. Frequently logging in into the Virtual Classroom keeps you up to date with the latest information about the UNISCA course. Through the Virtual Classroom you are also able to hand in assignments, check your grades, and find lecture notes online.

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