The Department of Political Science hosted a United Nations 70th anniversary commemoration event at the University of Central Arkansas on Friday, October 30, 2015. The event was the first UN Day event organized by the department in eight years. The department hosted UN Day events in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Hundreds of Arkansas high school teachers and students, as well as several UCA students, participated in annual UN Day events at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock or Pulaski Academy in Little Rock between 2008 and 2014.
Participating in the UN Day event at UCA were more than 50 teachers and students from several Arkansas high schools, including Little Rock Central High School, Rogers High School, Marked Tree High School, Mills University Studies High School, Maumelle Charter High School, and Pottsville High School. The UN Day event included a workshop for high school teachers and students in the UCA Student Center from 9:00am to noon. The topics covered included “The Historical Roots of the United Nations” by Dr. Mark Mullenbach and “Learning about International Politics through Model United Nations” by Dr. Mark Elrod. Dr. Karen Mingst, Lockwood Chair Professor in the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky, was the guest speaker during a luncheon in the Student Center from noon to 1:30pm.