EU to Host 2nd Model EU Event in Japan at Nara Women’s University

30.09.2024 Press and information team of the Delegation to JAPAN

Under this flagship educational initiative by the European Union (EU), university students will simulate a debate on climate change in the EU Council, role-playing as representatives of EU Member States and the European Commission.
Through the debate, the students will experience the complexity of reaching decisions involving multiple national perspectives and priorities.
The event is open to the general public free of charge at Nara Women’s University, and will also be livestreamed. Please scroll down for information on how to register.

On 26 October, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Japan will host its second Model European Union (MEU) event in Japan. MEU 2024 will be held at Nara Women’s University, following a successful event at the University of Tokyo last year. One of the EU’s flagship educational initiatives, the MEU has been held in many countries globally to give university students a practical understanding of the EU’s institutional workings.

The event in Nara will bring together 47 university students from the Kansai region, Tokyo and Akita Prefecture, who will simulate the process of EU policymaking on the topic of climate change by role-playing as representatives of the EU’s 27 Member States and the European Commission. The participants will seek to reach a consensus on a strategy for the decarbonisation of freight transport from 2030 onwards, while taking into account their respective countries’ positions on this core issue. A key goal is to impart a sense of the complexity involved in reaching decisions on climate change in the face of multiple, and sometimes conflicting, national perspectives and priorities.

Ambassador of the EU to Japan, Jean-Eric Paquet, who himself joined an MEU event in his youth, commented: “The climate crisis is both global and generational. It will profoundly affect the world that today’s youth will inherit. By instilling an understanding of the policy design process and the outcome of climate policies, we can inspire young people to believe that they can change society. Yes, fighting climate change is something that needs investment and political capital, and is technically very complex, but it can be done”.

Tsutomu Hashida, Professor of International Exchange at Nara Women’s University and advisor to the students, commented: “I am deeply impressed by how quickly the students have grasped the complexities of policymaking at EU level. They are now working to address global challenges that demand careful consideration from diverse perspectives”.

Students began preparing for the event during the summer, dedicating extensive hours to studying Member States’ positions on climate change. During a networking event in September, they had the chance to meet Ambassador Paquet and representatives from EU Member State embassies, gaining insights into the EU’s operational dynamics.

The EU aims to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 through its European Green Deal and legally binding European Climate Law, which sets an intermediate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

About Model European Union 2024