Dialogue Despite Division: The 2026 Conference Theme
SINGAPORE, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — North London Collegiate School (Singapore) hosted its second Model United Nations (MUN) conference at its Depot Road campus in Singapore, welcoming 200 students from six schools: the host school, Tanglin Trust School, Overseas Family School, International French School, German European School Singapore and Canadian International School. This year’s theme, “Dialogue Despite Division”, asked something simple but increasingly rare of its young delegates: to disagree without losing the ability to listen.
Student delegates from NLCS (Singapore) and visiting schools discussing and exploring different perspectives during the 2026 Model United Nations conference.
“It was a genuine pleasure to host this year’s Conference, and our theme felt fitting given the complex political climate. Our Executive Committee and students rallied around it and fostered a collaborative spirit. We’re lucky to have students and visiting schools who can rise to the occasion,” said NLCS (Singapore)’s MUN Director, Chris van Dort.
It is a skill the conference’s committee topics put to the test immediately. Delegates in the Historical Joint Committee revisited the Cuban Missile Crisis, one of history’s starkest lessons in how close dialogue can come to collapsing entirely. In the Disarmament and International Security Committee, students turned to a far more current and unresolved question: the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in warfare and conflict. Debating a Cold War standoff and an emerging twenty-first-century threat on the same day gave delegates a reminder that the stakes of dialogue, and its difficulty, do not belong to any one era.
A Model United Nations Conference Led by Sixth Form Students
MUN conferences across Singapore give ambitious students the opportunity to step into the role of delegate on real political issues, and what distinguishes the NLCS (Singapore) conference is how much of it is shaped by students themselves. This year’s event was organised by an Executive Committee (ExComm) of five Sixth Form students studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, including Riya Koshy as Secretary-General, Krishiv Sharma as Deputy Secretary-General, Leo Kang as Director of Administrations, Olivia Go as Director of Operations, Olivia van der Vlies as Director of Communications and Yubeom Paik as Conference Manager.
“Having started MUN in Grade 8 and attended so many MUN events, it was a genuine pleasure to help deliver one at our school. The conference nearly doubled in size this year, and it was fantastic to see so many of our students leading discussions,” said Conference Manager, Yubeom Paik.
A First Model United Nations Experience for Grades 6 to 8 Delegates
For many students, this was their first conference of the new academic year, and for many younger delegates in Grades 6 to 8, it was their first MUN experience altogether. Excitement and nerves were both evident in the room, the natural mix that comes with stepping into a new challenge for the first time.
Guest speaker Vishnu Padmanabhan, a journalist with The Economist, set the tone early with reflections on dialogue across the borders of China and India, and on the importance of understanding both sides of a story before writing it.
“As the first MUN conference we had ever attended, it was enjoyable to compete against other schools and better understand how to debate complex issues. It was also an excellent learning experience to be part of a larger community beyond our school,” said new student delegates Thomas and Stuvan.
Turning Debate into Common Ground
Student delegates across every committee handled difficult, often divisive subject matter with notable maturity, and many had already begun forming coalitions in pursuit of a resolution, dialogue turning into cooperation in real time. By midday, students were reflecting on how much they had grown and how much better they understood what it takes to find common ground with people who see an issue very differently.
MUN Awards: Three Trophies for NLCS (Singapore) Delegates
In the final sessions, students continued to debate and amend their resolutions before moving into the closing ceremony and awards in the early evening. Delegates from all six schools had the chance to reflect on the day and hear closing remarks from the ExComm. Of the eight trophies awarded, NLCS (Singapore) took home three. Soyul Anh was named Best Delegate in the United States Senate, Siddhant Pandey was named Best Delegate in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Ranvir Pathak was named Best Judge in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“It was really enjoyable guiding new students through their first conference. For anyone choosing an advanced committee like the UNSC at their first MUN, my advice is to speak at every opportunity. Spend less time writing resolutions and more time preparing speeches and POIs (Points of Information),” said UNSC Best Delegate, Siddhant.
Now in its second year, and having nearly doubled in size since its first, the conference has quickly become a fixture that reflects something NLCS (Singapore) holds at the core of its approach to education: students learn best when they are trusted to lead, to disagree thoughtfully and to work through challenging situations together. Congratulations to the Sixth Form ExComm for organising such a meaningful conference, and to every delegate who took part. NLCS (Singapore) looks forward to welcoming these schools back again next year.
About North London Collegiate School (Singapore)
Founded in August 2020, North London Collegiate School (Singapore) is a British international school offering the academically ambitious NLCS curriculum, followed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme from Grade 6 to Grade 10 and culminating in the IB Diploma Programme in the Sixth Form.
Drawing on more than 175 years of educational heritage from its founding school, North London Collegiate School, established in London in 1850, NLCS (Singapore) nurtures individuals to be intellectually curious, socially confident and grounded in compassion through a rigorous academic framework, rich co-curricular opportunities and exceptional pastoral care.
Situated on Depot Road, the School is part of a global family of schools committed to educational excellence and developing global citizens.
To learn more about NLCS (Singapore), please visit our website (https://nlcssingapore.sg/) and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
