International Crisis Response Simulation – Participant Experiences

Emilio Giuliani, ASU Law ’23: I found the simulation engaging and exciting for several reasons. I enjoyed the chance to discuss strategic approaches to problem-solving with former ambassadors and other knowledgeable professionals in the area of international law. In addition, connecting with other like-minded students over a unique and time-sensitive scenario was a great learning experience and provided insight into how such challenges are tackled in the real world.

I think that participating in the simulation was a great opportunity to have direct exposure to international conflict and international law issues that would be difficult to get outside of more formal settings like an internship. It’s impressive that the simulation could pack in so much content in such a short period of time.

Raisha Waller, Yale ’22: I truly enjoyed the realistic nature of the simulation and the way it constantly pushed us to think of new methods. We were able to take from what we knew of previous policy and what we knew from our various educational and experiential backgrounds and combine it to come up with amazingly creative and inspiring ideas. The diverse background of the participants and team leaders especially impressed me and I felt that it enhanced my simulation experience. Despite the solemn topic, I had an enjoyable experience. It may be eight hours but it truly didn’t feel like it. Time passed so quickly and I felt like there was still so much to be said and done at the end of it all. I think anyone interested in these topics or this line of work should definitely give this simulation a shot.

Jennifer Kearse, SUNY Brockport ’21: For me, the thing I enjoyed most about the simulation, was that I have never participated in anything like this before. It was a completely new experience with unfamiliar people that really took me out of my comfort zone and challenged me. It helped put all my education I’ve gained through Brockport’s Political Science program into real life situational use and not just in a test or grade format. 

I would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone interested in a career within the international relations umbrella, really to anyone in general honestly. It gives a real, tangible perspective as to what our diplomats and ambassadors must overcome and grapple with when making policy decisions involving international interests. The complex interconnections between governments and ethical and moral dilemmas, are not something showcased on the front-page news, the simulation showed me just how difficult those things are to intertwine. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to put this exercise together and allow me to take part in it. It exceeded my expectations and pushed me mentally to places I didn’t think I would be able to reach. By the end of the day, I was exhausted, frustrated, confused, you name it. But I also couldn’t wait to tell anyone who would listen about what I just experienced for the last 8 hours because it was so incredibly thought provoking. The students, staff, and leaders I was able to interact with also helped make this experience especially memorable. Even though I only have one remaining semester left at Brockport, I look forward to any more opportunities that ASU and Binghamton may extend to our department. 

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