Esade and the UN: Committed to Common Principles
Every year, October 24 marks United Nations Day, the anniversary of the United Nations Charter coming into force in 1945. The charter, which was updated in 1963, 1965, and 1973, contains the purposes and principles that guide the UN.
As part of the charter, each member state undertakes a number of global commitments. These include avoiding wars, upholding human rights and freedoms, respecting international law, promoting social progress, practicing tolerance and living in peace, limiting the use of armed force, and promoting economic and social advancement for all.
As one of the world’s leading business schools, Esade also seeks to promote and uphold these commitments through executive education, partnerships, and programs. We offer our students a wide range of educational experiences to further the aims of the charter, and our faculty produce valuable research aimed at enhancing the operations of the UN’s bodies.
Esade programs and the UN
Ideas for the future
In November, students in the fourth year of Spanish secondary school or the first year of a baccalaureate can win free places in 2023 Esade Summer School Programs by developing innovative solutions to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Ideas4theFuture — SDG 2030 Challenge includes workshops given by leading experts on generating ideas with social impact and entrepreneurship. Participating teams choose one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and develop and design an innovative solution for achieving it. Solutions are then presented to a jury, which chooses the winning project.
Barcelona International Model United Nations Esade (BIMUN)
Barcelona International Model United Nations Esade is a three-day MUN conference, which offers an exceptional opportunity for young people aged 15 to 22 to immerse themselves in the world of International Relations. Participants are able to see through the eyes of United Nations delegates how the global community deals with international crises and learn first-hand how the United Nations works.
The Model United Nations (MUN) conference is a simulation of an ordinary United Nations session, in which students from various schools are organized into countries to discuss a political, economic, or social issue of global interest and come up with plausible solutions to the complex real-world issues that politicians face today.
Preparation for work in the UN
The Bachelor in Global Governance, Economics & Legal Order program prepares students to work at the United Nations or other global organizations such as the EU, WHO, or UNESCO, as well as at NGOs.
Students solve practical cases and participate in Model United Nations sessions while learning about a wide range of fundamental issues for global governance including international legal systems, human rights, cybersecurity, macroeconomics, geopolitics, international institutions, and the environment.
The program includes a compulsory semester abroad and the opportunity to work within UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) — a specialized agency of the United Nations aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences, and culture.
Model United Nations
The Model UN is a prestigious international university competition in which more than 2,500 students from 120 different countries learn first-hand through a simulated UN session. Students are organized in teams and represent different countries, working together to solve a specific social and political challenge
During the 25th edition of the Model UN organized by Harvard University, Mohamed Bouzagou, an Esade Law School participant, won the prestigious Diplomatic Award for his success in leading the Nature Conservancy, a unique committee whose members were free to interact with other committees to try to influence them.
The chance to participate in the Model UN is just one of the opportunities offered by the Esade Double Degree in Law and Global Governance, Economics & Legal Order program. The five-year program combines all the knowledge from the Bachelor in Law with the Bachelor in Global Governance for students who want to become experts in international relations, and resolve legal, political, and economic problems anywhere in the world.
Esade faculty and students: partnering with the UN
As well as contributing to upholding the aims of the UN Charter through our research, committees, schemes, and programs, Esade faculty and students are also directly involved with UN operations and projects.
In 2017, Francisco Longo, director of ESADEgov, was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as one of 24 experts worldwide to serve on the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration. Longo had previously served on the UN’s Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) – Multi-year Programme from 2011 to 2013.
Alfons Sauquet Rovira, professor in the Department of People Management and Organisation at Esade, is a consultant for the United Nations Development Program. Jordi Montaña Matosas, emeritus professor in the Department of Marketing at Esade, has also carried out consultancy projects for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and our students have taken part in valuable tech projects for the UN in New York.
On United Nations Day, we thank every one of you for contributing to a more fair and just world — for your ongoing commitment to Do Good, Do Better.