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Committee Summary
The year is 1234 CE. The Mongol Empire has just eliminated the Jin Dynasty and now threatens to expand in multiple directions. The remaining powers in Asia have not yet collapsed: some have already witnessed the violence of the Mongols, while others remain untouched, but understand their turn may soon come. From the courts of the Southern Song to the halls of Goryeo, from the Delhi Sultanate to the Abbasid Caliphate, from Đại Việt to Champa, the leaders of Asia gather in a coalition unlike any have seen before, standing against the overwhelming Mongol threat.
This committee will explore the timeline of the Mongol invasion of Asia and allow delegates to engage in discussions on military strategy, preemptive defense, and unlikely alliances as they face obstacles including bandit ransacking of trade, bureaucratic disputes, and, of course, Mongol invasions.
The committee will also cover the internal challenges of preparing for invasion before disaster fully arrives. Delegates must decide how to protect trade routes, secure borders, defend cities, manage refugee flows, and respond to Mongol envoys demanding submission. Your alliances will be tested, and your loyalties questioned: can the Coalition stand united against the Mongols, or will Asia’s remaining powers fall one by one?
MEET THE CHAIR
SAHITI VALLABHANENI
Dear Delegates,
My name is Sahiti Vallabhaneni, and I am thrilled to be your chair for Novice: The Mongol Invasion Defense Coalition 1234 at BruinMUN 34!
I’m currently a senior majoring in Applied Mathematics here at UCLA, with a minor in Statistics and Data Science and a Specialization in Computing. I am deeply passionate about research, and after graduation, I hope to pursue a career in data science, focusing on applying machine learning to address real-world problems. I’m a real global citizen - I was born in India, raised in Kuwait, and now call Dubai a home. My diverse upbringing offered me a unique perspective on the world, and as a result, I can converse comfortably in more than 4 languages.
My journey with Model UN began in high school, where it introduced me to some of my closest friends, and made me part of a wonderful organization which I eventually went on to serve as President. At UCLA, I have had the opportunity to serve as a crisis staffer, dias staffer, and chairperson for both our high school and collegiate conferences. I also compete at conferences across the country as a member of UCLA’s competitive travel team. When I’m not attending Model UN meetings and socials, enduring 16-hour flights back home, or tackling the horrors of discrete math, you’ll find me playing badminton, trying new matcha spots with my friends, or catching up on my 170 webtoons (all of which update weekly!).
This committee is set in a time when the Mongol Empire feels almost unstoppable, and every state involved must decide how far they are willing to go to survive. As members of a fragile defense coalition, delegates will face invasion threats, internal disputes, shifty alliances, and the pressure of holding your own against both the Mongols and your temporary allies. You will need to use all your diplomacy, military strategy, and creativity to make it out of this crisis! As the Mongol Invasion is a novice committee, I anticipate that several of you may be new delegates, and I look forward to introducing you to the wonderful world that is Model UN. I am immensely excited to chair this one-of-a-kind committee, and aim to provide you an unforgettable experience.
The Mongols are nearly upon us! All the best!
Sahiti Vallabhaneni | Chair, Mongol Invasion Defense Coalition | BruinMUN 34
MEET THE CRISIS DIRECTOR
VINCENT NYVENE
Hello, Delegates!
Hello Delegates! My name is Vincent Nyvene, and I am super pumped to be your Crisis Director for the Mongol Invasion Defense Coalition at BruinMUN 34! To introduce myself, I am a second-year student studying Political Science and Public Affairs from Philadelphia, PA, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Growing up as an American expat has made me an avid traveler and foodie, so whenever I am in a new city, you will never catch me taking a break from exploring new cuisines and logging my gastronomic experiences on Beli! Other than chasing that restaurant reservation, you can also find me writing for the Bruin Political Review, working on portfolios as an intern in D.C., speaking at the United Nations, or taking on another sidequest around the world.
I first began my Model United Nations journey my freshman year of high school, but not in the procedural standard and circuit you may be familiar with. Particularly, not only did I both compete and chair across Asia on the international school circuit, but my experience was primarily under THIMUN procedures. Since moving into what we all know as North American procedures, I’ve had the chance to be familiar with two distinct “flavors” of MUN. With MUN at UCLA, I have staffed at both BruinMUN and our collegiate conference, LAMUN, as well as competed on the Travel Team. Some of my most fond memories at UCLA are from this nerdy-larping and goofy family, whether exploring San Francisco’s Chinatown while competing at UC Berkeley or going to Disneyland as a committee (shoutout JCC Townspeople)!
The Mongol Invasion Defense Coalition will take you back to the year 1234 CE, where this realistic-fiction committee will place you at the crossroads of cultures as you represent diverse civilizations across greater Eurasia. While such a coalition never existed, I am excited to see how you will interact as civilizations that held little to no diplomatic ties with one another. From bandits to fully fledged armies, you must protect your own sovereignty from a Mongol invasion while acting in the best interests of the coalition—or else, all will perish. Both external and internal issues will arise, and it is your responsibility to work with representatives from your own civilization and others to prevent this coalition from submitting to the Mongol Empire. Most importantly, it’s about the governance and cultural knowledge you gain after interacting for the first time with such civilizations, and I hope to see how you grow into the art of diplomatic camaraderie—regardless of the timeline.
And whenever in doubt, AP World History and Heimler have got your back.
Best,
Vincent Nyvene | Crisis Director, Mongol Invasion Defense Coalition | BruinMUN 34