Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) HUSS Global Symbiosis Project Team hosted the “KMU × UNU × TCU Sustainable Global Leadership Training Camp” in Tokyo, Japan, for seven days from July 26 to August 1, 2026, with 30 Kookmin University students participating. This camp was designed to integrate the United Nations University (UNU)’s Future Leaders Bootcamp with a social contribution-oriented Project-Based Learning (PBL) program in collaboration with Tokyo City University (TCU), enabling participants to expand their understanding of international organizations and global issues into practical experience solving local community problems.

Among these activities, the Future Leaders Bootcamp, held at the United Nations University from July 27 to 29, was the second such event following the one held last January. Students participated in expert lectures and workshops on topics including the structure and operational systems of the United Nations, its role in the international community, sustainable development, international cooperation, and global issues. Through these sessions, they examined the challenges facing the international community and the need for cooperation among nations and organizations to address them.

The core of the program was a United Nations Security Council negotiation simulation, in which students took on the roles of negotiators themselves. Working in pairs, the students each took on the role of a Security Council member state. They researched that country’s position and policy direction in advance and then carried out the entire negotiation process—from opening statements and position announcements by each country on the agenda item of the Venezuelan crisis, to bilateral consultations and alliance discussions, the submission and debate of amendments, informal negotiations, and the vote on the resolution.

Throughout this process, the students went a step beyond simply expressing their own opinions; they gained experience negotiating with other nations and finding common ground based on the interests and diplomatic stances of their assigned countries. They directly experienced the nature of international negotiations—which require consideration not only of national interests but also of international law and humanitarian values—and learned to adjust their logic and strategies in response to the positions of other nations and evolving negotiation dynamics.

For this second session of the program, the experiences of students who participated last January were incorporated into the pre-program training. By having past participants personally share their experiences with the Model UN preparation process and on-site activities—and conduct a Q&A session—new participants were able to prepare more thoroughly for analyzing national positions, delivering opening statements, and navigating the negotiation process.

Participants also cited a shift in their perspective on sustainability as a key outcome of the program. One participant shared, “Previously, I thought of sustainability mainly as a concept related to environmental protection, but through this activity, I came to understand that it is a concept connected to various fields such as education, inequality, the urban environment, and international cooperation.” They added, “I learned that environmental, economic, and social issues are not separate from one another but are closely interconnected, and that they cannot be resolved through the efforts of a single country or institution alone.”

Another student remarked, “After taking courses on international relations and the UN at UNU and participating in the Security Council simulation, my understanding of the negotiation structures and decision-making processes within international organizations has deepened.” They continued, “Through the process of constructing arguments from the perspective of an unfamiliar country, presenting in English, and negotiating, I was able to develop my diplomatic communication skills and ability to respond to various situations.”

What they learned at UNU later led to a community-based PBL project conducted with students from Tokyo City University. After examining issues facing the international community from the perspectives of nations and international organizations, the students applied the concepts of sustainability and global coexistence to specific local community problems through field surveys and joint projects in the Futako-Tamagawa area. The participating students also noted that by applying what they learned in lectures to subsequent team activities and field surveys, they gained a firsthand understanding of how theoretical learning and practical problem analysis are interconnected.

Research Professor Ko Hyesun of the Global Symbiosis Project Team, who organized this program, plans to strengthen preparatory training on the UN system and current international issues based on her experience in running two UNU programs. She also intends to expand the peer mentoring system, in which current participants assist in preparing future participants. Through these efforts, the team plans to continuously develop a participatory global education program that progresses from an understanding of international organizations to discussion, negotiation, and the resolution of local community issues.

The HUSS Global Symbiosis Consortium is a project for fostering interdisciplinary talent in the humanities and social sciences, involving Kwangwoon University, Kookmin University, Sunmoon University, Yeungnam University, and Honam University. With support from the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea for a three-year period beginning in 2024, the consortium operates various educational and international exchange programs with the goal of cultivating 2,500 interdisciplinary professionals equipped with sustainable resource management capabilities, industrial insight, and inclusivity in the international community.

△ Photo: A scene from the Global Symbiosis Project Team’s “Future Leaders Bootcamp”

△ Photo: A scene from the “Future Leaders Bootcamp” organized by the Global Symbiosis Project Team