Basel students to attend UN simulation conference in New York
Twelve students from the Basel region will travel to New York next month to take part in the world’s largest UN Simulation Conference.
The preparations for this event are time-consuming and demand a lot of commitment from the students, and they have to cover the cost of the trip themselves.
Economics student, Deianira Bütler, is planning her trip, which will take place in March. However, there are not going to the Big Apple for sightseeing and shopping but in order to represent the nation of Surinam – not Switzerland – as UN members. Students from all over the world meet at the largest UN simulation conference. This event gives them the unique chance to work like “real” diplomats for an assigned nation during three days: “I am happy that global problems can be discussed on an international level,” Deianira Bütler says, who knows five languages in total. “New perspectives open up that way.”
The Simulation Conference is among the largest and most professional simulations of the work of the United Nations (UNO). As part of this simulation, student delegates act in the role of diplomats in committees and represent the position as well as the interests of an assigned nation.
You cannot not communicate
“As a university, it is important to support, extend, and shape internationality,” Katarzyna Zukoswka-Gagelmann, professor for economics at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW),said. Not only can students work together with colleagues from different countries, they also learn about the importance of communication and negotiations. “They will be confronted with problems that the real UN has to face,” professor Zukowska-Gagelmann said. And they also have to learn how to deal with these problems and how to achieve a goal through communication. Just like in real life.
Not all students get to enjoy this privilege. “If you want to join, you have to apply for such a position with a letter of motivation,” Katarzyna Zukowska-Gagelmann said. The grade point average, knowledge of English, and previous experience in international contexts play an important role. “We need to make absolutely sure that the students know their English language.”
Everything is self-financed
Besides these skills, teamwork and organisational talent are also important. For good reason: “The students are taking care of financing the conference fees, their travel and their place of residence themselves,” Katarzyna Zukowska-Gagelmann explained. This means that the students are looking for sponsors. The current costs for the twelve Swiss students is 26,500 Euros.
“We are in the middle of preparations right now,” Deianira Bütler said. Despite the heavy workload, she appears calm and full of anticipation. “Our search for sponsors is running at full speed.” The committed students have already secured a large part of their finances – also thanks to self-organised parties. One thing is for sure: With so much engagement, these students will gain unique experiences and return to Switzerland with a well-filled backpack.
Gina Proenza wins Helvetia Art Award 2018
Gina Proenza is the winner of the Helvetia Art Award 2018. She earned her bachelor’s degree in “Arts Visuels” (visual arts) at the Haute Ecole d’Art de Lausanne. The Helvetia Art Award is a promotional award for young artists and comes with a prize money of 15,000 Swiss francs as well as the opportunity for a solo exhibition at the LISTE – Art Fair Basel.
Ms Proena’s award-winning presentation is a combination of different media. The core of her artwork is the history of a Columbian village that was founded by an escaped slave in the 17th century and remained undiscovered for a long time. Its inhabitants did not just share the same culture but also the “Palenquero” language.
Gina Proenza is a skilled storyteller, and she knows how to display the scenography of the tale, according to the jury. “She creates spatial, narrative, and even olfactory impressions, and shows great talent both in conceptual and visual manners of presenting individual details,” a spokesperson said, adding that the jury “also appreciates the worldliness of the questions raised by her presentation.”
“Gina Proenza’s art is promising, and the Helvetia award is given to her to provide substantial support for her artistic development. Gina Proenza’s works can be seen at Plattform 18, which is open until 11 February at Kunsthaus Langenthal.
This year’s Helvetia Art Award jury consists of Peter Bläuer (director of LISTE – Art Fair Basel), Raffael Dörig (director of Kunsthaus Langenthal), Ines Goldbach (director of Kunsthaus Baselland), Olivier Kaeser (co-director of Centre culturel Suisse in Paris), Andreas Karcher (director of Fachstelle Kunst Helvetia), Nathalie Loch (curator of Helvetia art collection), and Peter Stohler (director Kunst(Zeug)Haus Rapperswil).
Start-up support as part of artistic commitment
With its art award, Helvetia Insurances supports young artists at the beginning of their careers. The Helvetia Art Award is aimed at visual arts and media arts graduate students of Swiss technical colleges. The award provides a twofold start-up help: For one, the winner receives a prize money of 15,000 francs. On the other hand, he or she has the opportunity to display art at a solo exhibition as part of LISTE – Art Fair Basel to an international and wide-ranging audience. The LISTE art fair will be open between 11 and 17 June 2018. Since its foundation in 1996, the LISTE actively helps with support for art galleries and young to middle-aged artists, according to the statement.
The Helvetia Art Award is a crucial part of the artistic commitment of the international Helvetia Group. The “Nationale Suisse” Art Award has been awarded every year since 2004 – it is now named “Helvetia Kunstpreis” following the merging of Helvetia and Nationale Suisse in 2014. Helvetia is also an insurer for art and possesses one of the most remarkable collections of contemporary Swiss art spanning more than 70 years. Paintings, drawings, and photography are the main focus of the collection. Since 2015, Helvetia has its own public exhibition space – the Helvetia Art Foyer in Basel. The showroom either displays thematic exhibitions including Helvetia-owned artworks or solo exhibitions by artists.