2025 was OG’s busiest and most rewarding year yet, with a global calendar that took us from Oxford to Shanghai, Canada, Dubai, China, India, and back to London. Across everything we did, the most consistent part was the people: students showing up with curiosity and ambition, and teams of chairs, volunteers, and leaders creating spaces where that curiosity could turn into confidence.
We began the year in Oxford with NoviceNations 2025, which set the tone for an action-packed year ahead. There’s something special about a beginner conference, from the first placard raises and first speeches to the moment someone realises they can contribute in a room that initially feels intimidating. Over the weekend, committees moved from cautious participation to active engagement. We saw delegates’ speeches get clearer, their points become sharper, and their collaboration translate into tangible solutions. It was a reminder that MUN isn’t about having all the answers, but about learning how to think, communicate, and build solutions with others.
After NoviceNations, our international calendar began in April with two major events, our SHSID MUN conference in Shanghai and our North American debut in Canada. SHSID was a brilliant way to kick off the year’s travel, with focused debate, a memorable conference atmosphere, and the chance to experience Shanghai beyond the committee rooms. Our first MUN event in Canada delivered a fantastic few days of lively committee sessions, with delegates throwing themselves into negotiation and keeping the energy high all weekend. Outside the conference, we also managed to explore a little, with a trip to Niagara Falls as a definite standout.
By June, we were in Dubai for our first ASYL Dubai, where the focus shifted from committee rooms to academic streams led by PhD researchers. Students spent the week immersed in AI, Psychology, and Economics, working towards research papers and academic presentations; it was a joy to see the confidence and clarity they brought to their final work.
Then summer fully arrived and the calendar accelerated. Our Chongqing MUN event began with a MUN Academy where students built core skills, including public speaking, research, and resolution writing, before stepping into a full conference simulation. It was especially satisfying to watch delegates apply what they’d learned straight away, carrying those skills into debate, bloc-building, and drafting within the same programme.
After that came WEMUN Expo in Beijing, a brilliant chance to be part of the wider international MUN community that OG looks forward to year after year. The weekend had huge momentum, with dynamic committees, a diverse delegate community, and an atmosphere that felt both energetic and high-standard. In between sessions, we also had the chance to experience Beijing properly, taking in some of the city’s most iconic sights and culture.
We then returned to Shanghai for ASYL Shanghai. Across six streams — Biomedicine, Maths, Psychology, Chemistry, Engineering, and Economics — students engaged with university-level content led by PhD researchers who brought their expertise into the classroom. It was a packed, inspiring week of academic focus and thoughtful discussion, with students pushing themselves to refine their thinking and present their ideas with conviction.
We closed out our summer travel with OMUN India in Pune. Across three focused days, delegates engaged in debate and leadership-building, bringing seriousness to committee while balancing diplomacy with ambition as they worked towards practical solutions. Outside sessions, we also had the chance to explore Pune’s rich history, including visits to Sinhagad Fort and the Aga Khan Palace. From committee sessions to exploring the city, the trip felt like a fitting finale to our 2025 international calendar.
In October, we hosted something different in London, the inaugural Future Scientists Study Programme. Hosted at David Game College with support from WELAND International and the Chaoyang District Government of Beijing, the week-long programme brought 40 students to the city for a hands-on exploration of climate challenges. Guided by PhD researcher facilitators across two streams, STEM and Social Policy & IR, students moved from evidence to action through seminars, simulations, and team projects. The week culminated in group presentations tackling pivotal climate issues, and captured the same OG spirit of learning, shared community, and students rising to a challenge together.
In November, we returned to the historic city of Oxford for our flagship weekend, the OxfordMUN Home Conference 2025, marking the tenth anniversary edition of the event. With over 1,000 participants from more than 30 countries, the weekend brought students together for rigorous deliberation, thoughtful diplomacy, and meaningful global dialogue. With Spirit of Inquiry as the theme, some of the best moments came when delegates moved beyond surface-level solutions, asked sharper questions, and tested ideas for what could actually work. It also had that unmistakable Home Conference atmosphere, from the buzz of the Delegate Socials to the friendships formed across schools and countries. To capture it all, our conference newspaper, The OG Inquiry, recorded the weekend as it unfolded, from committee developments to the moments between sessions that made the conference feel so memorable.
At the Closing Ceremony of this special anniversary edition, we looked ahead to the next chapter for OxfordMUN and the wider OG community. In the closing address, we announced the new name that will guide the conference into its next decade, OxfordMUN: GlobalVoices, chosen by hundreds of delegates voting throughout the weekend. GlobalVoices captures what the conference has grown into, a space where voices from across the world meet and shape global conversations. We cannot wait to welcome delegations to GlobalVoices 2026.
Looking back, what stands out about 2025 isn’t how many places we travelled to, but how much students contributed wherever we went. Whether it was a first-time NoviceNations delegate finding confidence, students presenting research they had worked hard to shape in Dubai, Shanghai, or London, or a committee pushing into more nuanced debate, the year was full of moments where learning felt active, collaborative, and deeply rewarding.
As we head into 2026, we’re already looking forward to what’s next, and we’ll be launching our 2026 international trips soon. If 2025 was anything to go by, there’s a lot to be excited about!