What we do

Weekly General Body Meetings

We believe that a global perspective and sophisticated understanding of international affairs are crucial in the 21st century. To build a broaden our knowledge, CIAS holds weekly general body meetings to explore current topics in global affairs, often with guest speakers such as foreign dignitaries. These discussions are open to any members, new and old. We welcome anyone with an interest in international affairs and new members do not need experience in debate or global policy to engage in discussion.

Conferences

CIAS supplements its travel team with its own conferences on campus and abroad that focus on enhancing delegate experience, for which we rely on innovative committees, experienced chairs, and creative crises. The Cornell Model United Nations Conference (CMUNC) serves high school travel teams that desire to test their skills against other teams every spring. In the fall, the fast-growing Cornell International Affairs Conference (CIAC) brings college travel teams to Cornell to test their mastery of diplomacy and public speaking. Recently, CIAS has also started to expand abroad, with the first edition of CMUNC China taking place in Chengdu in 2017.

Traveling Team

Every year, CIAS sends delegates to multiple collegiate Model United Nations conferences throughout the United States and Canada. A few examples of conferences attended in recent years include McMUN in Montréal, the National Collegiate Security Conference in Washington, and the Pennsylvania United Nations Conference in State College, PA. This list will hopefully expand in the future. Joining the traveling team is a great opportunity to strengthen one’s speaking skills, make new friends, and explore new cities.

Leadership Opportunities

As a student organization in charge of planning large events, CIAS offers many leadership opportunities that span from conference coordination to executive positions. Due to our large size, all members are encouraged to occupy positions that reflect their strengths. We are an organization committed to leadership development.

Careers in the Public Sector Expo

In previous years, CIAS held the Careers in the Public Sector Expo, where attendees could learn about opportunities that match their interest areas in the field of public service and international development.

Luncheons Sponsored by Einaudi Center

Prior to the pandemic, CIAS members were often able to take advantage of invitations to special luncheons with the impressive array of guest speakers that the Einaudi Center brings on campus each semester. We hope to bring these events back in the near future, with a focus on lectures sponsored by CIAS on a variety of international affairs-related topics.

Social Events

CIAS takes pride in having a close-knit community of members who are friends, peers, and co-workers. Every semester, CIAS holds a variety of official and unofficial social events in order to welcome newcomers and maintain an active membership. A few examples include barbecues, movie nights, bowling, and date nights.

Mentorship

CIAS is a large community, so we make it more personal with a mentorship program that pairs new members with experienced ones in a "family-"style system.

Who are we?

Our members have diverse backgrounds and hail from nations across the world.