LUMS Team Triumphs at Harvard Model UN—For the Third Year in a Row!

For the third consecutive year, the LUMS Model United Nations (LUMUN) team has secured a historic win at Harvard National Model UN (HNMUN), bringing home the Outstanding Delegation award—one of the competition’s top honours.

This year’s victory was particularly special, with the delegation winning several individual awards as well.

From Underdogs to 'Outstanding Delegation'!

Head Delegate, Mahnoor Gul (BA English ’26) remembers her first time attending HNMUN as a freshman at LUMS. “People didn’t see us as competition. They didn’t expect much from a team from Pakistan,” she recalls. That changed when LUMS won Outstanding Delegation in 2023. "The next time we went, people knew who we were. They were training for us. They were prepared for our debating style."

By this year, the atmosphere was different. "There was a lot of love for us," she says. "We were no longer just participants—we were contenders."

A Rigorous Training Schedule

Despite being a relatively new contender at HNMUN compared to teams with decades of experience, the LUMUN delegation made the most of its limited resources. Returning team members—who had competed at HNMUN before—brought valuable insights from past competitions. Their experiences shaped the team’s strategy, helping them identify what worked, what didn’t, and how to refine their approach.

As LUMUN's first-ever female captain, Mahnoor felt additional responsibility. The team trained for the competition for six months, dedicating six hours a day to research, practice, and honing their strategy. "We would eat together and stay up late working. We knew each other’s sleep schedules, eating schedules, allergies, habits—because we had to. That’s what it takes," she says.

Rebuilding the Team in 36 Hours

The team faced an unexpected challenge just before departure: two members didn’t receive their US visas in time. They held emergency trials and interviews, selecting two replacement members who had just 36 hours to prepare. Two of the last-minute additions—Umaimah Sajid and Laiba Abid—went on to win Diplomatic Commendations at the conference.

A Victory for Pakistan