The third and last session of the Regional Academy of the United Nations (RAUN) took place in the United Nations Center, Vienna Office between January 13-16, 2015. The section passed off, as always, joined to the annual conference of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS), and on the last day of the conference the RAUN participants presented their research’s results, what they made since May of 2014.
The subject of the conference was the realization of the Millennium Development Goals announced by the UN for the period of 2000-2015, as well as the draft of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The presentations were delivered by the co-workers of the specialized UN organizations and offices and by famous experts: in addition to the actual environmental challenges, agricultural use of nuclear energy, drug trade and organized crime, there were also presentations about the unresolved problems of international migration and the more effective realization of equal opportunities as well.
After the multifarious and interesting presentations the floor was given to the RAUN participants: in three sections, in the form of 15 minutes long, presentations in English they introduced their research results. The participating students, were divided into international small groups, and had been researching a chosen topic with the help of the UN organ concerned, since May of 2014. The results of the groups were evaluated by a jury of experts and UN officials: for each paper submitted before the conference and every presentation given they announced a winning team in each section.
The University of Szeged was represented by 5 students - Ágnes Bibok, Nóra Juhász, Renáta Kálmán, Ferenc Kuliga, Imre Varjú - and the assistant lecturer of the International and European Law Department Orsolya Johanna Sziebig dr. iur. The Hungarian team was strengthened by the addition of two students Márton Lakner and Nóra Sándor from the Corvinus University of Budapest - performed excellently at the conference. Two out of the three winning papers were written by the Hungarian team (Imre Varjú, Márton Lakner); moreover, the coordinators of RAUN elected the best student in each national team as well. The best student of the Hungarian team was Ágnes Bibok.
The closing session of RAUN provided students with the excellent opportunity to see first-hand the work of the UN organs, and to form their own opinions concerning the unresolved challenges of the international community as well as acquiring professional knowledge. In addition the students gained a first-hand experience of the challenges and joys of working and researching in a foreign language in an international context.
The excellent professional programme was made even more memorable due to the events organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and the City of Vienna, as well as the sights of the Austrian capital. Consequently, the half year of RAUN lasting from 2014-2015 was closed honorably. The main Hungarian organizer of this programme was senior lecturer Anikó Szalai dr. iur. of the International and European law Department.
The participation of the team Szeged in the RAUN was supported by the Dean’s Office of the University of Szeged Faculty of Law and Political Sciences and International and Regional Studies Institute.
