Bloomington, Indiana – In a world increasingly shaped by diplomacy, global challenges, and complex international relationships, students at Indiana University Bloomington are gaining real-world experience in navigating global affairs — all without ever leaving campus. Through immersive simulations, students are stepping into the shoes of world leaders, foreign ministers, and diplomats to confront pressing issues such as regional conflict, climate policy, and cross-cultural negotiations.
This semester, students at IU’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies engaged in a series of high-stakes global simulations, designed to mimic the pressure-filled environments of real-world summits. One such exercise focused on the political crisis in Burma (Myanmar), placing students in a simulated Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit hosted in Manila. Former U.S. Ambassador to Brunei Daniel Shields facilitated the simulation, giving students an insider’s view of how complex diplomacy plays out behind closed doors.
Students represented various ASEAN member states and were tasked with negotiating a unified diplomatic statement on Burma — a challenge that brought to light the difficulties of finding common ground among nations with conflicting interests and diverse cultural backgrounds.
“At the Hamilton Lugar School, we seek to cultivate the knowledge, skills and passion to understand the world and use that understanding to make a positive impact,” said Dean John Ciorciari. “Global simulations give students an unmatched opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom and gain confidence for their professional lives.”
Khloe Williams, a senior majoring in East Asian languages and cultures, represented the Philippines during the summit — the chair country hosting the fictional diplomatic gathering. She had experience in similar settings through the Korean-American Student Conference but found this simulation particularly meaningful because of Shields’ involvement.
“We were stuck on one section of the simulation, and Ambassador Shields gave me a proverbial nudge to take initiative and bring everyone to a decision,” Williams said. “I assumed that I had the obligation to allow the claimant countries to come to as much of a consensus as possible before I could move on, but since it was an ASEAN summit, I as the chair had the authority to make those final decisions in the case that everyone continued to disagree.”
That moment was a learning experience not only in diplomacy but in leadership — a reminder that diplomatic progress sometimes requires firm decisions when consensus proves elusive. Another memorable exchange came from Burmese language instructor and interpreter Woody Myat, who portrayed Australia in the simulation. When a proposed statement used the word “meaningful,” Myat raised a pointed question about its definition, illustrating how even one vague term can hold up an entire international agreement.
“If language is clear and rigid, it’s hard to get an agreement,” Ciorciari later said in a debrief. “But if it’s too vague and broad, it can be destabilizing. There is always some challenge to find the right level of ambiguity. We saw that play out here.”
This diplomatic simulation is just one piece of a broader set of experiential learning opportunities that distinguish the Hamilton Lugar School as a leading hub for global simulations in the Midwest. The school is deeply involved in programs such as Model Arab League, Model United Nations, and International Moot Court — all aimed at helping students move beyond theory and into practical, collaborative settings where they must think on their feet.
One of the longest-running and most influential of these programs is the Midwest Model European Union (MMEU). Established in 1993 by political science professor John McCormick, MMEU is the second-oldest intercollegiate simulation of the EU in North America. Though it originated at IU’s Indianapolis campus, it has been hosted at IU Bloomington since 2014.
In MMEU, students form delegations that represent each of the 27 EU member states. Within those delegations, participants take on roles like prime minister, foreign minister, or other key government figures. The teams engage in a series of negotiations and deliberations modeled on the actual structure and processes of the EU — from the European Council to individual councils of ministers.
“Model European Union really showcases to students the complexities of working across different constituencies within the EU,” said Colton Ames, associate director for the Institute of European Studies at IU and the coordinator of MMEU. “Some roles require students to represent and prioritize the interests of a particular government or political party. Others have roles that require them to consider the good of Europe above the interests of the country they are representing.”
This year, IU fielded three delegations — representing Latvia, Greece, and Romania. While many participants came from the Hamilton Lugar School, others hailed from the Kelley School of Business and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, showcasing the university’s interdisciplinary approach to global learning.
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For students like Georgia Clarke, these experiences are more than just academic exercises — they are foundational to her career goals. Clarke, who is planning to graduate a year early and complete a capstone year in Kazakhstan in 2027, participated in this year’s simulation and earned second place on the Environmental Committee. She hopes to serve in the U.S. Air Force as a foreign service officer, where her background in international law and Russian language will be essential.
“Aside from the networking opportunities that MMEU provides, it prepared me for the types of discussions that I will be faced with in my future career,” Clarke said. “Also, it gives me a good basis of how to create positive and lasting change in institutions such as the EU that truly protect the fragile international order that exists today.”
These simulations underscore the value of immersive, role-based learning, especially in the field of international affairs. They push students to research deeply, think critically, negotiate respectfully, and adapt quickly — all essential skills in today’s globalized world.
Whether it’s debating the political future of Burma or tackling climate policy within the European Union, IU students are proving they are more than ready for the complexities of global leadership. Thanks to forward-thinking programs and dedicated faculty, the next generation of diplomats, negotiators, and public servants is getting a head start — one simulation at a time.
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