Dear Delegates, Advisors, and Staff,

Welcome to Columbia Educational Simulations (CESIMS)! CESIMS is the non-profit branch of the Columbia International Relations Council and Association (CIRCA). Our mission is to provide Model United Nations experience and all of its benefits to high school students in New York, regardless of socioeconomic background or lack of school resources. We achieve this goal through our bi-annual Model UN conferences and all of our teaching programs, which are entirely free-of-cost.

Our conferences provide first-hand experience to students by offering challenging and original committees, which deliberate on political and diplomatic affairs of all times and places. Our committees are staffed by Columbia University's competitive travel team, with a staff-to-delegate ratio of 1:3. Our delegates leave having learned more about politics and international affairs, with improved speaking skills, and a better understanding of the arts of negotiation and diplomacy.

Complementary to our conferences are the teaching programs we offer to our partner schools (find out more here). Our volunteer student teachers share their experience and knowledge of Model UN with high school students in order to prepare for CESIMS and other competitive conferences. Our educational initiatives are multiple and tailored to the needs of our partner schools.

Our Fall Conference will take place at Columbia University’s Morningside Heights campus on Saturday, November 22, 2025.

Registration for Spring 2026 is not yet open. Stay tuned for updates!

Finally, on behalf of the Columbia Educational Simulations (CESIMS) Secretariat, we would like to thank everyone who participated in CESIMS Spring 2025! With 15 schools and over 210 students in attendance, our conference continued to serve our mission of providing Model United Nations experiences free-of-charge to students across the Tri-state area. Our committees, both crises and General Assemblies, received great feedback, and we will take into account all pieces of feedback when we begin preparation for CESIMS Fall 2025.

Our Fall conference is shaping up to possibly be our largest in CESIMS history! With over 300 students from 18 schools registered and 11 committee rooms, CESIMS continues to pursue its mission to provide high-quality educational opportunities to as many students as we can.

As we approach our Fall conference, I encourage you to peruse our website for more information. On behalf of the Columbia International Relations Council and Association and the CESIMS Secretariat, we look forward to partnering up with and welcoming you all to CESIMS Fall 2025! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our Chief of Staff, Yordani Rodriguez, at yr2471@columbia.edu.

Best,

Eliana Steele | Secretary-General

Allen Cai | Director-General