The 2025 calendar year has started off on a high at TCS, as preparations for COSMUN are ramping up. Held each year since 1997, COSMUN 2025 will be held from March 4th to 7th on campus.
The Columbus School’s Model United Nations, otherwise known as COSMUN, is a 3-day event where students represent distinct countries or people as delegates, debating different topics–both current and historical.
“COSMUN has been starting off the year great by being the biggest model in Colombia, being the only one to host over 20 committees and 500 participants, at the least. Furthermore, COSMUN will open its scholarship programs to students from public institutions. Last year, we gave out 17 scholarships, whereas this year we are going to give out 40 scholarships. Of course, the scholarships are going to be paid by the sponsors and not the model itself, ensuring its financial stability. Furthermore, we will also do an integration with the presidential chair, which hasn’t been previously done before; and we are the only United Nations conference in Medellín to do so, making us an exclusive and community-based model,” Joaquín Pérez, senior and COSMUN 2025 Secretary-General, said.
COSMUN provides the opportunity for students across Medellín, Colombia, and Latin America to learn and discuss persistent global issues, hence promoting a safe and inclusive space for learning differently.
“So, I think that COSMUN is one of the most fundamental events that align with our mission and values, really at its core we are creating global citizens with activities like this that go beyond the classroom and extend education and show the application of why we do what we do within the classroom. So, I think events like this not only prepare you in ways such as professional speaking, organization, and deadlines, but they also connect back to the classroom curriculum.” David Murphy, COSMUN General Sponsor, said.
Behind the scenes, teams are working on registrations, sponsorships, acquiring partnerships, and preparing this mass event. For instance, the presidential chair has to prepare academic guides and informational material for each of the twenty committees; this is a team of over forty students from TCS, Colegio San José de Las Vegas, Marymount School Medellín, Vermont School Medellín, Colegio Montessori, Colegio Cumbres, and Sagrado Corazón Montemayor. They are just a fraction of the large team behind COSMUN. The Secretariat is the maximum student authority of the model, and we will soon know who will be at the helm for 2026.
“So, this year we are electing either María Wolff or María del Mar Aarón. And of course, it is not decided who is going to remain in the position of Secretary-General, as it is only going to be one person. However, either María or María del Mar are going to achieve such high standards that this year’s COSMUN is achieved by the COSMUN they make in 2026 because that’s the point of COSMUN–a test and trial–because, of course, every year we get feedback about the things we did correct and the things we could improve. This year, for example, the bar is very high for María and María del Mar, because they are going to have to prove that they are worthy of the position, and not only worthy, but that they can lead a team of about 50 people and for them to bring in new ideas for COSMUN, which is the real essence of the project.” Secretary-General Pérez said.
The logistical area of COSMUN has also been busy at work. The main logistics team, directed by President José Miguel Penagos and Vice Presidents Valentina Barrientos, Elías Peláez, and Sofía Thiriez, are in charge of everything being in order throughout the event. Their team, composed of 25 other participants, ensures that lines during break times are attended in an efficient manner, as well as streamlining other logistical components of the event.
“The most critical aspects that I have managed in the logistics of COSMUN have been two things; the first one would be the food and the snacks. Why? Because this is a really critical moment because you need to attend to 500 people in less than 30-40 minutes so that they have time to eat, discuss, and have a little break because their debates are really long,” José Miguel Penagos, COSMUN 2025 Logistics President, said.
COSMUN 2025 will now have 20 committees in comparison to last year’s nineteen, making it the largest model in TCS history. Different topics include the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the establishment of an economic block in Latin America, court cases, and the Russian Civil War, hence giving students a variety of committees to select from. By delving deeper into these issues through debate, delegates can learn a vital set of abilities useful for not only MUN, but their professional development as well.
“I would say a lot of the soft skills that come out of it. The leadership skills that people gain while participating in Model United Nations, the organizational skills, the preparation that goes into it, as well as teamwork, and interaction with others in a more professional environment and setting. Not to mention that Model United Nations looks great for college applications, so it also has an educational purpose there.” Murphy said.
There is no shadow of a doubt that COSMUN is a mass event with lots of empowered leaders behind it. With registrations closing in mid-February, don’t miss out on this great opportunity to be a part of COSMUN and inspire a sustainable future.
“I measure success over the feedback that I receive from the sponsors, my boss, the people around me, how I see the event is going, and how I see my work and my team’s work has gone. Finally, I measure success if everything is clear and if everything is going well. So that’s my personal reflection.” Penagos said.