Board XXXVI
“It is my great pleasure and deepest honour to assume the position of President of the Leiden MUN Foundation’s 36th Board.
When I first joined the Foundation, what feels like an eternity ago now, I was a young first-year student, still adapting to university life. Continuing one of my biggest passions into university was an absolute no-brainer, but I had my doubts. Would I fit in? Would I be able to adapt, having never followed a preparatory track? Would it all be too much?
Yet, as I entered the Board, those fears quickly disappeared. What I found was an environment full of opportunity, learning, and, above all, incredible people. Over time, my relationship with the Foundation became about much more than MUN itself. It became about the community, the friendships, and the opportunity to grow alongside people who share the same passion.
MUN has been a quintessential part of my upbringing, shaping not only my skills, knowledge, and mentality through years as a delegate and teacher, but also who I am as a person. It has introduced me to an extraordinary variety of people and allowed me to rediscover parts of myself I had thought long forgotten. Above all, I have witnessed time and time again MUN’s incredible ability to change people for the better.
Becoming the Foundation’s youngest-ever President is therefore a particularly special moment for me. I hope to draw on everything this community has taught me to inspire future delegates, while giving them the space to create their own paths within the world of MUN.
As President, I look forward to implementing the changes needed to continue improving our Foundation and strengthening its future, while preserving the community and spirit that made it so special to me in the first place. It is an honour to continue this history, and I cannot wait to see where we take it together.”
~ Piotr Leligdowicz, President
“I am delighted to share that I will be continuing my journey with the Leiden MUN Foundation as Vice-President for Board XXXVI.
MUN has become far more than an academic activity for me over the years. It has been a space where I found my voice, built lasting connections, and deepened my understanding of global issues and diplomacy.
As Vice-President, I look forward to working closely with the rest of the Board to guide our team, support the wonderful people who make this community what it is, and help maintain an environment where everyone, delegates and organisers alike, feels encouraged to engage, take initiative, and grow.
I am grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey so far, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together as Board XXXVI.”
~ Pietro Pilotti, Vice president
"Seeing someone discover their voice and their strength is something that fulfils me deeply and wholeheartedly.
Not too long ago, I was sitting exactly where our delegates are now , a little nervous, very excited, and honestly not quite sure what I was getting myself into. Being a delegate with this Foundation is what changed that. It gave me room to grow, a community that pushed me, and the confidence to find my own voice.
That experience is a big part of why being the Head Delegate Trainer of Board XXXVI means so much to me. I still remember what those sessions felt like: the nerves before speaking, the pride afterwards. I want to bring all of that into the way I plan and structure the academic programme this year: with patience, openness, and a genuine belief in every single delegate.
My goal isn't just to help delegates perform better. It's to help them feel more confident, more capable, and more like themselves by the end of it. That, to me, is what this is all about."
Milena Kahl, Head Delegate Trainer
"Mun was a revelation during my first conference at HNMUN 2025. It quickly became inconceivable to me to end my journey as a mere participant, I wanted to step behind the scenes and help shape the experience for others. It is with great honor that I am part of the XXXVI board of the Leiden MUN Foundation.
Passing on the knowledge first imparted to me by the Foundation feels like a crowning achievement. I look forward to further developing as a PA and mentor, and I hope to guide new delegates through an experience that has been so fundamental to my own journey."
Galaad Larzilliere, Promotions & Acquisitions Officer
“MUN has become a vital part of my university journey as well as my personal growth. When you do something you genuinely enjoy and can see yourself improving, the learning process comes naturally. As a student interested in diplomacy, international affairs, and global challenges, MUN seemed like the perfect fit for me and has allowed me to develop and enhance a wide range of skills that I will carry with me throughout my life.
I am proud to be part of and contribute to the Leiden MUN mission of training students and supporting their personal growth while providing an inclusive environment. After joining the Foundation as a delegate for HNMUN 2026 and MEDMUN 2026, both of which provided unforgettable experiences and valuable lessons, I am deeply honoured to serve my first term as Treasurer of the Leiden MUN Foundation and to have become part of Board XXXVI."
~ João Lovato, Treasurer
"It is truly the utmost honour for me to be joining Board XXXVI in preparation for the upcoming IEUMUN 2026 conference in Spain.
When I joined my first Leiden MUN conference at Harvard last year, I had no idea I was joining a community of curious and outspoken students. As worried as I was at the beginning about my lack of experience, the preparatory track and the community aspect of the Foundation helped me grow into the role of a delegate.
As a Delegate Trainer, I would like to foster students’ confidence in achieving what they set their minds to and, alongside my fellow board members, tailor the best MUN experience possible."
~Eliska Ganzarová, Delegate Trainer
“ To think that mere months ago, I walked into the Preparation Track as a Delegate with curiosity, anticipation, and, most of all, nerves. What I found there wasn't just intense debate and resolution writing, but a community that actively encouraged me to challenge myself, speak up, and take up space.
Going from being a delegate in March to now serving as a Delegate Trainer on the Board is an incredible honour and achievement.
This year, my goal is to help build that same welcoming and ambitious space for our new delegates. I want to replicate the encouragement I received, so that delegates can push themselves outside of their comfort zones and learn to use their voices.
I am incredibly honoured to serve as a Delegate Trainer on Board XXXVI.."
~Elisa Hilbig, Delegate Trainer
“ Stepping out from my initial interview to become part of the IEUMUN delegation in 2025, if somebody had told me that a year later, I would be facing new applicants from the same spot from which I had been observing the board, I would have laughed. After all, how could I, with no prior experience and a fear of public speaking, ever be in that position?
This is how my MUN journey started. Full of doubts and uncertainties about whether I was living up to the expectations laid out in front of me.
It was only after having participated in my first conference that I truly started looking back and appreciating the journey behind me.
MUN, with its initially frightening mock sessions, gave me not only the invaluable public speaking, lobbying and negotiation skills needed to gain confidence in myself, but also a community of people who supported, encouraged and empowered me to step up, try again and keep learning from my mistakes, but above all, about myself. This passion for MUN kept pushing me to seek new challenges, surpass my boundaries and eventually decide to apply as a board member.
It is therefore with gratitude that I am now representing the foundation as a Delegate Trainer, hoping to give new delegates the support, knowledge and guidance that I received, and which meant so much to me during my Prep Track a year ago.
I am committed to living up to the example set by all the dedicated Delegate Trainers before me, who will continue to inspire and motivate me throughout my MUN journey.
Finally, I look forward to seeing how delegates find their voice - and realise that yes, they did - as these moments are what genuinely make MUN the transformative experience it is and will always be in my heart."
~Hanna Juhász, Delegate Trainer
Previous Boards
Board XXXIII | HNMUN’26
President: Sixte Foucque
Vice President: Piotr Leligdowicz
Treasurer: David Auberger
Promotions and Acquisitions Officer: Galaad Larzillière
Head Delegate Trainer: Julia Pozdnukhova
Delegate Trainer: Celia Hiver
Delegate Trainer: Pietro Pilotti
Delegate Trainer: Milena Kahl
Board XXXIII | HNMUN’26
President: Ethan Schwartz
Vice President: Sixte Foucque
Treasurer: David Auberger
Promotions and Acquisitions Officer: Galaad Larzillière
Head Delegate Trainer: Julia Pozdnukhova
Delegate Trainer: Celia Hiver
Delegate Trainer: Piotr Leligdowicz
Board XXXIII | IEUMUN’25
President: Thomas van Loon
Vice President: Ethan Schwartz
Treasurer: David Auberger
Promotions and Acquisitions Officer: Jaclin Duja
Head Delegate Trainer: Juan Escudero
Delegate Trainer: Julia Pozdnukhova
Delegate Trainer: Sixte Foucque