Students Hone Leadership Skills at BMUNIS’26 Conference
The Bahrain Model United Nations Conference (BMUNIS’26), organized by The Indian School Bahrain (ISB), brought together around 370 student delegates from leading schools across the Kingdom on Friday to engage in debates on pressing global issues, develop leadership skills, and gain practical insights into diplomacy and international relations.
The two-day conference, held at the school auditorium on the Isa Town campus, was officially inaugurated by ISB Hon. Chairman Adv. Binu Mannil Varughese. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Principal Santha Kumar Dasari, Junior Wing Principal Pamela Xavier, Academic Administration Vice-Principal Rajesh Nair, MUN Director Chhaya Joshi, Secretary-General Joel Shaiju, Deputy Secretary-General Evana Rachel Binu, Student Director of Organizing Committee Aryan Sathyan Das, and Student Director of Research and Training Sanjay Preji.
The conference featured participation from students in Grades 6 to 12 representing several prominent schools in Bahrain, including The Indian School, Abdul Rahman Kanoo International School, Al Noor International School, The Asian School, Bahrain Bayan School, Bahrain Indian School, Ibn Al Hytham Islamic School, New Horizon School, New Indian School, New Millennium School, and St. Christopher’s School.
BMUNIS’26 is distinguished by its completely student-led approach, with students taking responsibility for the planning, organization, coordination, and execution of the conference. Delegates represented various countries and participated in detailed discussions and negotiations across multiple councils. Student chairs presided over each council, guiding delegates through debates while ensuring that discussions followed authentic United Nations procedures.
Delivering the inaugural address, ISB Hon. Chairman Adv. Binu Mannil Varughese highlighted the important role of Model United Nations conferences in nurturing globally aware, confident, and responsible young citizens. He noted that The Indian School Bahrain was the first CBSE institution in the Kingdom to host its own MUN and remains among the few schools in Bahrain to conduct a completely student-led Model United Nations conference.
Earlier, the inaugural ceremony commenced with the national anthem of Bahrain, followed by a welcome address by Secretary-General Joel Shaiju. In his address, he encouraged delegates to step outside their comfort zones, embrace new opportunities, and use the conference as a platform for personal and intellectual growth.
Student Director of Research and Training Sanjay Preji, Student Director of Organizing Committee Aryan Sathyan Das and Deputy Secretary-General Evana Rachel Binu encouraged participants to make the most of the conference by valuing not only the debates and competitions but also the friendships, experiences, diverse perspectives, and values gained through interaction with fellow delegates.
The inaugural programme was hosted by Masters of Ceremonies Head of Research Abhinav Sreejith and Head of Public Relations Shreya Rajeev. Following the ceremony, delegates moved to their respective council chambers, where they began debating assigned global issues. The sessions witnessed intense, well-researched, and diplomatically conducted discussions, with delegates presenting arguments, negotiating solutions, and collaborating on resolutions under the guidance of experienced student chairs.
As a gesture of appreciation, mementoes were presented to Hon. Chairman Adv. Binu Mannil Varughese and Principal Santha Kumar Dasari for their support and encouragement towards the conference.
BMUNIS’26 was made possible through the generous sponsorship of WAEL Pharmacy, UNEECO, Ford, IDP, Almarai, MIT, Almoayyed Motors, Tylos, and Blue Sky Trading.
The conference will conclude with an awards ceremony on Saturday, where delegates demonstrating outstanding performance, diplomacy, research, leadership, and debating skills will be recognized.
Posted on 2026-09-12