ACMUN 2026 – 21 years of Dialogue, Diplomacy and Leadership
From February 13th to 15th, Anatolia proudly hosted the 21st annual ACMUN conference on its campus in Thessaloniki, bringing together more than 500 students, student officers, advisors, Press members, and administrative staff for three days of debate, collaboration, and diplomacy. With participants arriving from six different countries, ACMUN 2026 once again affirmed the transformative power of student-led discourse on international issues and cross-cultural understanding.
Under the guidance of ACMUN Director Mr. Pieter Derluyn, this year’s conference emphasized not only rigorous debate, but also the deeper purpose of Model United Nations: fostering community and mutual respect—skills that extend far beyond the committee room.
ACMUN 2026 came to order on Friday morning with an opening ceremony that reflected its international scope. The keynote speaker, Mr. Jean-Luc Lavaud, Consul General of France in Thessaloniki, addressed the delegates with a motivating message on the importance of diplomacy and global cooperation. The U.S. Consul Mr. Eion Dando gave his opening remarks, testifying to the bond between Anatolia the United States and our shared democratic values. The ceremony was further enriched by the presence of three more consuls, Mr. Konstantinos Polykarpou (Consul General of Cyprus), Mrs. Monika Frank (Consul General of Germany) and Mrs. Aylin Karaman (Consul at the Turkish Consulate in Thessaloniki), testifying to the event’s resonance beyond the school community.
Following the roll call and the Secretary General’s address, the Secretariat—Ioulieta Georgiou, Ilektra Michailidou, Danai Tsatsou, Achilleas Katsos, and Charikleia Chrysogonou—officially launched ACMUN 2026. Delegates then dove into spirited sessions across a wide range of councils, including the reintroduction of the Historical Committee, as well as the US Presidential Cabinet (USPC) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), offering varied opportunities to explore different formats of diplomatic simulation.
Student officers shaped the flow of debate, while the Press team preserved the conference’s energy—turning moments into memories through their reporting whilst making a conscious effort to reduce paper consumption and encourage a more sustainable approach to conference materials. The Admin Staff played a vital role, maintaining order in the hallways and guiding participants swiftly to their assigned seats.
As the conference drew to a close, the campus buzzed with the kind of energy that only a truly student-driven event can create: moments of intense negotiation, laughter in the hallways, and new friendships forged across cultures and perspectives. With the gavel’s final strike, the 21st ACMUN conference officially adjourned—marking not just another successful year, but a celebration of the core values of Model United Nations.
