Agostini, Phillipp
Philipp was born and raised in a small village in the heart of the Alps in the wonderful Northern Italian Province South Tirol where he lived until his graduation from High School in 2015. Whilst living in a student residence during High School, he has become hugely interested in different cultures, societies and its people because of the social-scientific orientation at school whereby he got a first insight in the fields of psychology, sociology, educational science and anthropology. His aforementioned curiosity has led him to learn more about other places and countries around the earth, including topics such as globalisation, international relations and policy of any kind. After graduating, he made up his mind to leave his rural hometown in South Tirol to read psychology and sociology at LMU Munich. He is proud to know his aspirations and that he pursues them proactively also seeking new experiences. As part of the MUNAM’s delegation to the IsarMUN, the WorldMUN and the EuroMUN, Philipp looks forward to gaining new experiences beside his studies participating at the MUN conferences. He is rather excited at the prospect of representing potentially controversial national interests at one of the most important organs of international policy.
Albert, Susanne
Being born in 1996 in Bamberg, Upper Franconia, Susanne spent her childhood in Landshut in Lower Bavaria where she finished her A-levels with excellence in 2015. During her secondary school years she participated in a student exchange program with Gold Coast, Australia, which proved to be an unforgettable and enriching experience she gladly remembers. October 2015 marked a new chapter of her life when she moved to Munich to study psychology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University, learning and enjoying gradually standing on her own feet. All her life travelling has played an important role and has grown to being one of her greatest passions. Discovering the world, getting to know foreign cultures, languages and interesting people has also helped her to realize how “privileged” she is. Strongly feeling the need to give back and due to her great affection for children she decided to spend her first spring break in Tanzania working in an orphanage, an experience shaping her in many ways and further encouraging Susanne to pursue her academic course. Susanne is also passionate about playing volleyball and the guitar, surfing and participating actively in university life. Being part of MUNAM offers Susanne the opportunity to broaden her horizon in various aspects: first-hand insight in different cultural backgrounds, getting in touch with interesting people from all over the world and, of course, discussing current political problems and working on solutions, which she also takes great pleasure and interest in.
Bauer, Marina
Since being born in 1993 Marina is constantly trying to find out what she wants to learn next. During her childhood, she came up with playing the piano and writing little stories. It was on the way to her family’s summer holidays in the Black Forest when Marina spotted the direction “Paris“ written on a German highway sign. For the first time Marina realized her attraction for everything international. This discovery was followed by a long discussion which, despite her strong arguments, didn’t change the destination to France. Marina began to console her “Fernweh” by reading about distant places. But books are no substitute for the real thing. After her graduation Marina therefore spent three months as an Au-Pair in France to gain a better knowledge of the French language and culture. In 2013, Marina then started her studies in Communication and Political Science at the LMU in Munich. Pursuing a career in journalism, Marina completed an internship at a German radio station in Namibia. Currently, she is working at the student radio station m94.5 in Munich. During a semester abroad at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver she first came in touch with Model United Nations. After this short glimpse into international diplomacy, Marina applied for the 2016/17 MUNAM delegation. Negotiating and debating on international topics is the latest skill, Marina found out, she wants to learn. This is why she is thrilled to travel with so many interesting people to the Harvard WorldMUN in Montreal and the EuroMUN in Maastricht.
Brecht, Marisa
Marisa was born in 1995 and raised in a small village in Rhineland-Palatinate. Glad to move to Munich in 2015, she started to study political science as a major and communication science as a minor. Next to her academic occupation with politics, as an active member of a German political party, politics play a substantial role in Marisa’s life. Overall, she is particularly interested in the interface of political communication. Thus, she pursues a career in Public Affairs and Corporate Communication. Currently Marisa organizes a semester abroad in Istanbul which is motivated by her experience with Turkish language and culture. During her studies Marisa has already gained professional experience at The Boston Consulting Group as a working student, at 180 degrees consulting as a student consultant for NGOs and social enterprises and at a large interest group association as an intern. Before her studies she volunteered as an English teacher at a Panamanian primary school and worked for a prestigious NGO at the Center of Memory and Human Rights in Buenos Aires. During this formative time in Middle and South America she learned about the importance of international cooperation, civic engagement and social justice. Marisa is looking forward to applying her theoretical knowledge on politics and her practical working experience to the Model United
Nations in Munich, Maastricht and Montreal.
Duetsch, Jonathan
Jonathan was raised in a small town in Bavaria. Having grown up in a musical and politically interested family, these two fields have become important parts of his life. By studying political science and history at LMU Munich, he aims to deepen the knowledge of the latter and to pursue his great interest in politics, society, and culture. Additionally, social commitment is important for Jonathan. He is a member of a political youth organization and of an association, which provides educational assistance for children with learning difficulties. Interest and fulfilment are the main impulses for Jonathan’s activities. That also brought him to Model United Nations. As a member of MUNAM e.V. Jonathan is looking forward to expanding his knowledge, learning about processes in international affairs, and improving his rhetorical skills.
Herrle, Katharina
Katharina was born and raised in Windhoek, capital of Namibia in 1995, where she attended a German foreign school until 2012. Growing up in such a multicultural surrounding as Namibia, she quickly developed an interest for other cultures and languages, next to speaking publicly. Therefore Katharina started participating in local and national debate competitions and won the national debating competition in 2009 and 2011. After graduating one year later, Katharina completed an internship at the Namibian government radio station, where she gained her first experiences as a radio presenter. At the age of 18, she moved to Munich to start an internship in the PR department of Sky Germany, where she got in touch with people from different parts of the globe. It was then, when she discovered the multifacettedness of Europe and started exploring multiple countries, while enjoying the proximity and reachability of various European destinations. Later in 2013, Katharina started studying Communication and Politics at the LMU with the idea of pursuing a career in journalism. Since February 2016, she works for the Bayerischer Rundfunk, where she looks after guests of a TV show. The number of different and interesting people she encounters there shaped her interest in the diversity of individuals. During her studies of politics, Katharina developed an intensified attentiveness for historical and political issues of different cultures, especially those of African countries, which encouraged her to apply to join the Model United Nations Association Munich.
Hofmann, Vanessa
Vanessa was born in 1993 in the city of seven hills, Rome, where she lived during her preschool time. As a child of a Brazilian mother and a German father, she grew up in a multicultural environment where she was raised bilingually, speaking Italian and German. Receiving scholarships like „Talent im Land Bayern“ run by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, and the „Deutschlandstipendium“ allowed her to make contact with students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds, thus increasing her passion for exploring different cultures and mindsets. From an early stage on, she felt the need to take social responsibility and to shape and lead change in her environment. At school, this lead her to being the elected representative of the pupils as well as being the head of an ecumenical students group aiming at triggering interfaith dialogue at her school and sensibilizing her schoolmates for the different views of life that represent today’s time. At the moment she pursues her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in banking and finance and a minor in statistics. Now at LMU, she is in the executive board of her students council, and in her leisure time works as a volunteer in a refugee camp, realizing activities for teenagers as well as organizing after-school homework supervision for children. Living in Munich, she was confronted with the problems associated with the considerable refugee flows Germany and many other countries are coping with. This experience deepened her interest in human rights issues and social justice and sparked the wish to be part of the change needed to move towards a more just and inclusive global community. She hopes to use her experience as a MUNAM delegate to further her understanding of global issues and international diplomacy, and to foster her wish to pursue a Master’s degree in International Relations. In her spare time, she enjoys horse riding as well as hiking and plays the violin.
Hilker, Charlotte
Charlotte was born and raised in a small village near Kaiserslautern. Growing up in a small town she always wanted to see the world. Her passion in getting to know new cultures, languages and ways of life increased throughout the years. After primary school she joined the French bilingual program at her school, being taught geography and history in both German and French. During her school career she spent two months in the US and participated in several French exchange programs. Always feeling the responsibility to change and step up for other people’s interests as well as helping to find solutions, Charlotte worked as the head girl of her school. Moreover she joined the free of cost coaching program. After her graduation in 2014 she decided to spend a year abroad and worked as an aupair in Jersey and Dubai, meanwhile visiting an English course in college. The heart full of new impressions and wonderful experiences she started her medical studies in 2015 at LMU Munich. Charlotte is really excited to be part of MUNAM as it offers the perfect opportunity to learn more about the United Nations and international affairs in general.
Hübner, Daniel
Born in 1991 in the city of Lübeck, Daniel first came to Munich in 2013 to pursue his studies in political science and sociology at LMU. He frequently finds himself confronted with bewildered Munich natives for having strayed so far from his home town (which he finds equally perplexing in turn). Prior to his studies, he has had the opportunity to spend a school year abroad in France, as well as a voluntary service in Spain after graduating from high school. These experiences have profoundly shaped his thinking about culture and nationality, notions which he believes are too often framed to impede the evolution of friendly relations among the global population rather than enable it. For similar reasons, he is an impassioned advocate of European integration and he welcomes the Model UN experience as an exercise in solution-oriented international debate and intercultural competence. Besides his student obligations, Daniel is an avid moviegoer and likes to cook when he finds the time.
Kouloubandi, Parham
Parham was born in 1994 and grew up in Passau. Due to the Iranian origin of his parents, he was raised bilingually and learned how normal and quite natural it is to have two different cultures. Parham is particularly interested in the general affairs of the MENA region, an interest which basically arose with the Arab Spring. As his many questions couldn’t be answered, he started to follow up with the basic wrap-up of the Middle East in self-study and deepened his knowledge of its history and politics. Thereby Parham understood the actual meaning of conciliating diplomacy and enduring dialogue between state actors as crucial part of solving and consolidating conflicts, and what it means when they failed. This motivated him to participate in MUNAM and to learn about the procedures and methods of international policy. To further enhance his understanding, he started his BA in Middle Eastern Studies at the LMU focusing on Iranian and Arab studies besides finishing his graduate studies in Electrical Engineering. It was after the summer events of 2015 when so many displaced people sought a safe haven in Germany, that Parham joined the LMU student initiative “Ahlan wa-Sahlan” which is dedicate to offer help and assistance to newcomers. Within his engagement he helped out on various occasions as interpreter by which he was allowed to get a special insight into the whole so-called “refugee crisis” and to comprehend at least in some parts the actual impact of conflicts on ordinary people which he previously only read about. That showed him the necessity of keeping the humanitarian consequences of failed policy in mind and to not detach oneself from them. Besides, Parham is a proud supporter of Real Madrid and likes to brag with the picture of him and the president of the club.
Meinzinger, Christine
Christine was born in 1993 and raised in Lindau, a beautiful town right next to the Lake of Constance. While studying at the Bodensee Gymnasium, she was awarded for her outstanding performances in Athletics as well as in Italian and French. Christine is of German-Filipino descent ; growing up between two countries inspired her to be curious about the world and explore other cultures. She did extensive traveling over the whole globe, however backpacking several months throughout Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa remains her most memorable adventure. Since October 2013, she is studying Educational Sciences for secondary school teaching at the LMU. Christine is currently nominated for a scholarship by the German Economy Foundation. She joined MUNAM e.V. because her teaching experiences both nationally and internationally made her realize that intercultural competence and diplomacy are not only important in world politics, but also on an everyday basis in the classroom.
Neugebauer, Jeannie
Jeannie was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1994, to a German father and a Chinese mother. Due to her background she experienced early the diversity of cultures and has been interested in multiculturalism since then. The last two years of high school, Jeannie moved alone to Beijing and finished her secondary education there obtaining the International Baccalaureate (IB). In order to manage in Beijing, she had to become fluent in Chinese and English, greatly enjoying both languages. After returning from China, Jeannie took a year off in which she completed the German federal volunteer service in the psychiatric ward of the Markus hospital in Frankfurt. In 2012, Jeannie began to study law at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. After discovering that law did not suit her she switched her studies and began a double degree majoring in Business Administration and Chinese and minoring in history. Still being very passionate about discovering diverse cultures and their history, Jeannie appreciates the opportunity to take part in the MUNAM delegation. She is very excited about getting to know people from all over the world and learn about the political, economical and social situations of different countries.
Schwab, Dominik
Dominik grew up in Munich and attended Kurt-Huber-Gymnasium in Gräfelfing. Throughout his secondary education he studied multiple languages such as Latin, English, French, Spanish and Italian. In 2012 he graduated after a vivid career, fulfilling the duties of head boy and editor-in-chief of the school magazine and participating in numerous extracurricular activities like theatre, orchestra and debating clubs. Playing the piano since the age of six, he repeatedly won first and second prizes at various national music competitions. After graduation, he moved to Italy to develop his artistic abilities by studying piano at the Conservatories of Rovigo and Trento, obtaining a Bachelor of Music degree from the latter in 2015. During his piano studies, Dominik took part in many international festivals and seminars in Europe and America. He then returned to Munich, currently pursuing a law degree at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität. His life abroad as much as his many travels has amplified Dominik’s skills and interest in languages and intercultural communication, which he wishes to be an essential part of his work in the future. He maintains a vivid concern for political issues, particularly foreign policy and international law-making, as well as for global socio-economic trends. Believing that the challenges of a globalised world can only be met effectively on international level, he hopes to contribute to the process of resolving these challenges someday. Dominik joined MUNAM e.V. to get in touch with like-minded people who not only think that global change is needed, but believe that it is actually reachable.
Scott, Sebastian
Sebastian is a second year undergrad studying business administrations at the LMU in Munich. Born in Singapore in 1997, raised in a half British, half German family and having visited many different countries has since shaped his admiration for different cultures and languages. Economics fascinated him as long as he remembered which lead him and other classmates to establish a tutoring portal as part of a seminar in school. Taking this project to a new level he is Cofounder of a 5 team start-up which complements his field of study. In order to stimulate his political passion, he has engaged in different political youth organisations and social activities which have been furthered by a scholarship by the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation. Being Chair of a regional youth party in his hometown, as well as having participated at various European Youth Parliament sessions all over Europe, Sebastian now wishes to immerse himself into international policy-making and diplomatic cooperation throughout MUNAMs this year delegation. Thankful for this opportunity, Sebastian is very much looking forward the IsarMUN in Munich, EuroMUN in Maastricht and HarvardWorldMUN in Montreal. In his spare time Sebastian enjoys playing the guitar, any sorts of sports including football, badminton, tennis or volleyball, photography and last but foremost meeting up with friends.
Silva Gomez, Valeria
Born in 1997 Valeria grew up in a small town near Passau. Due to her South American roots she evolved a curiosity towards other countries and participated in exchange programs to France and Canada. She soon developed a big interest in international politics and debating and started to engage in a youth party already throughout her school time. Understanding how the economy and society depend on each other and how politics and diplomacy work have always been her favourite fields of discussion. This passion was deepened by the financial crisis 2008 which was rather complex and controversially discussed. Her wish to comprehend the financial system and its problems additionally influenced her decision to start studying Economics at the LMU. Alongside her studies she broadens her horizons in academies and workshops of the “Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes” on political, economic and social topics. Moreover she works at the Chair for Economic Theory. Valeria takes great pleasure in teamwork, weighing her arguments and finally convincing others of her points. The first few weeks of the MUNAM course have already proven to be what she was looking for in order to complement her academic studies. Therefore she eagerly looks forward to her role in the LMU delegation at the WorldMUN 2017 in Montreal and getting to know other students from all over the world. In her free time, Valeria is passionate about singing, playing piano, cooking, tennis and skiing.
Stark, Johannes
Johannes grew up in a small village in beautiful Allgäu. Drinking milk and breathing fresh air he was soon well prepared to explore the world. During his 10th grade he lived in a Scottish suburb. Then, after his graduation, he worked in Manila, capital of the Philippines, experiencing that “leaving your comfort zone is where magic happens.” As travelling became a too comfortable, he decided to return to Munich, the town of his ancestors, in order to study Psychology. While studying how human beings think and behave, in particular how they cope with traumatic experiences, Johannes kept wondering how our world works. This is how he became interested in global politics. With his first semester, he started writing for a student newspaper, participating in debating tournaments and working with refugees.
Van Aerde, Henri
Henri was born in 1994 in Antwerp, Belgium. In 2012, he successfully graduated from a boarding school in Bruges and decided to study Business Economics at the university of Leuven (KU Leuven). In Leuven, Henri acquired both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. Speaking four languages, Henri has been on the run for a challenge to attend a semester abroad. His personal interests in the German economy, its culture, mentality and of course the language convinced him to pursue a complementary Master’s degree BWL at the LMU in Munich. Henri is an open-‐minded Master student eager to expand his “comfort zone” and hoped to become part of an experience abroad that would boost his global perspective. Combined with his social engagement, these traits motivated him to join MUN society in Munich. Henri was convinced that MUNAM e.V. would provide an exceptional opportunity with interactive team discussions, hands-‐on debates and the possibility to be inspired by people from all over the world. Through an internship at Healthcare Belgium and the pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson, he gained significant insight in the field of humanitarian aid and global public health. Over the past years, Henri became intensively interested by the peace process and developed questions on human rights. Therefore, he strongly appreciates the opportunity to attend the IsarMUN, EuroMUN and Harvard WorldMUN, further enhancing his understanding of these global issues and international politics in general. Henri cannot wait to share his ideas, debate and represent MUN society
Munich together with his fellow delegates on the conferences that lie ahead.
Wach, Ophelia
Ophelia was born in Munich in 1997. Visiting the Michaeli Gymnasium in the Munich East, she early joined the theater group and the school choir. Later on in her school career, Ophelia lead the school newspaper and the group “school against racism, school with courage” where she discovered her passion for social and political issues. Therefore she decided to study political sciences and law at the LMU right after her A-levels. After an excursion to Brussels with the LMU department Law as minor, Ophelia engaged deeper into the topic of international organizations such as the EU and their decision-making processes. In order to examine the national processes as well, she served an internship in the office of a member of parliament at the Deutsche Bundestag. Apart from university, she works as technology scout in a non-profit innovation network, practicing her English, Spanish and French speaking skills. In summer 2016 she was trained as peer-to-peer mentor. Ophelia is member of two choirs, plays the piano and fancies dancing and yoga.