Overview
The Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) program was originally established by Professor Simms McClintock at Arkansas State Teachers College (ASTC) in the fall of 1966. The first AMUN conference was held on the campus of ASTC, now the University of Central Arkansas, in Conway in January 1967. The city of Conway, which currently has a population of some 70,000 individuals, is conveniently located on Interstate 40 about 30 miles north of Little Rock. UCA is a four-year, public university with some 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students. For nearly 60 years, thousands of students from throughout Arkansas and neighboring states have participated in AMUN conferences at UCA. In the past 25 years, more than 85 different high schools in nine states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas – have participated in the annual AMUN conference, which is sponsored by the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies and the UCA Model United Nations (MUN) student organization. The 60th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference will be held at UCA on November 21-22, 2025.
Experiential Learning
The annual AMUN conference at UCA is an experiential learning activity with the primary goal of providing students in 9th through 12th grades with a unique opportunity to enhance their communication skills, improve their critical thinking skills, and increase their understanding of diplomacy and international politics. Students in the 7th and 8th grades may also participate as pages or delegates in the Novice General Assembly (GA) Committee. The AMUN conference provides an interactive setting in which students role-play diplomats of various countries throughout the world in the decision-making bodies of the United Nations and other international organizations. Students who participate in the AMUN conference will learn about the governments and foreign policies of their assigned countries. Students will also gain an understanding of the structure and functions of the United Nations. Most importantly, students will learn the importance of international cooperation in addressing contemporary global issues and challenges.
Participation
Public, private, and charter schools in the state of Arkansas and neighboring states, as well as home school groups, are invited to participate in the annual AMUN conference at UCA. Depending on their grade level and amount of previous Model UN experience, students may participate as pages, delegates, or observers during the conference. Teachers, faculty advisors, and sponsors may contact Dr. Mark Mullenbach, who serves as the liaison to high school Model UN faculty advisors & sponsors, at markm@uca.edu for more information about developing a Model UN program at their high schools and about participating in the AMUN conference. College and university students and alumni in Arkansas and neighboring states who are interested in volunteering for the staff of the annual AMUN conference at UCA are encouraged to submit an online staff application.
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Links:
60th AMUN Conference (November 21-22, 2025)
Arkansas Model United Nations (The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture)
Model United Nations: A History of the Arkansas Model United Nations since 1966
AMUN Secretaries-General (1967-present)
AMUN Conference Honors & Awards Recipients (2001-present)
AMUN Committee Topics (2001-present)
AMUN Participating High Schools (2001-present)
Arkansas and the World: International Affairs Summer Camp at UCA
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Contact:
Dr. Mark Elrod, AMUN Conference Coordinator
217 Irby Hall, University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR 72035
Phone: (501) 450-3412
E-Mail: melrod@uca.edu
Dr. Mark Mullenbach, AMUN Liaison to Faculty Advisors & Sponsors
217 Irby Hall, University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR 72035
Phone: (501) 450-3412
E-Mail: markm@uca.edu
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