Secretariat
ZIA MAWANI
CO-SECRETARY-GENERAL
Zia is currently in his fourth year of Arts and Science. As Co-Secretary General, Zia primarily coordinates the Executive and Staff teams to ensure that MACMUN is the best experience possible for delegates. This is Zia’s 4th year on the MACMUN Secretariat, having previously served as a Junior Executive, then VP Administration/USG Operations for two years. To Zia, "embracing change" is about looking at challenges and change as an opportunity to learn and grow, something that has been particularly relevant as we weather change brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, baking, learning about woodworking, exploring domestic and foreign politics, and playing soccer with the lads. Zia looks forward to an engaging and action-packed conference and can’t wait to meet everyone!
ALICIA JACOB
CO-SECRETARY-GENERAL
Alicia is currently in her fourth year of Honours Life Sciences. As the Co-Secretary General, Alicia focuses on coordinating the executive and staff team. This is Alicia’s third year on the team, having served as VP/USG Marketing for the past two years. When she is not working on MACMUN, Alicia can be found playing with her puppy (and taking lots of pictures!!). She also enjoys going on hikes and trying out new recipes! She feels that the theme for the 2022 conference, "embracing change" is especially relevant this year and adapting to new challenges is the best way to grow! Overall, Alicia is looking forward to meeting the delegates and being a part of this year’s conference!
MARIYAM SALHIA
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF COMMITTEES
Mariyam is in her third year of Life Sciences. In her role as the Under-Secretary General of Committees, she oversees the hiring and training of all committee chairs, Background Guide writing and internal outreach. Mariyam has been involved with MUN since high school, where she was an executive member of her school’s MUN club and attended several conferences. In the past, Mariyam has worked with MACMUN as a Junior Executive, Committee Chair and the USG of Delegate Affairs. Outside of MACMUN, Mariyam volunteers with children and the elderly. At home, she can be found doting over her plants, attempting to paint, watching Charlie Brown specials and counting down the days until Spider-Man comes out. To Mariyam, "embracing change" means facilitating an environment where people can become resilient in the face of adversity and adapt to the ever-changing world around them. MACMUN contributes to this effort by nurturing a setting where meaningful discourse can occur and get students thinking about themselves in the context of their global community.
KATARINA JAKOBSH
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF CRISIS
Katarina is thrilled to be serving as the USG Crisis this year. She is in her fourth year of Social Psychology, specializing in Law, Justice, Crime, and Deviance. In the past Kat has worked as a crisis analyst and Secretariat member for MACMUN 2020 and 2021 respectively. Prior to that, she has been involved in MUN for the past 7 years in numerous different roles. When she is not planning twists and turns for MACMUN crises, you can find Kat trying out new recipes on her friends, crafting, or planning out her next trip. "Embracing change" is a theme she tries to follow, not only in academics but in all aspects of life. Exploring new opportunities and uncomfortable situations is the best way to learn about the world around you, and perhaps something about yourself as well.
HIYA GOYAL
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF DELEGATE AFFAIRS
Hiya is currently completing her third year of Combined Honours in Economics and Political Science. In her role as the Under-Secretary General of Delegate Affairs, she works to build relationships with the post-secondary level MUN community. Hiya is also a Content and Research Developer for the community-based organization, Staywoke, as well as an executive member on the McMaster Social Sciences Society. She can otherwise be spotted desperately trying to write essays that she definitely procrastinated on, watching anime, attempting to write poetry and reading opinion pieces in the New Yorker. To Hiya, “embracing change” means to acknowledge that as the generation of change, it is up to us to find the means for a better future. She believes that through proudly fostering a global community of sustainability, innovation and collective growth, we can prove to make great strides in our pursuit for a better world. MACMUN is an essential part of inspiring individuals to speak on critical, perennial issues in an environment that encourages individuals to refine their capacity for leadership and advocacy.
IBRAHIM HASAN
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF INTERNAL FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
Ibrahim is currently in his third year of Integrated Business and Humanities. In his role as USG of Internal Financial Affairs, he is responsible for managing the conference budget and working with the respective Secretariat members in finances related to their portfolio. Previously, Ibrahim had the privilege to serve as USG of Internal Financial Affairs for MACMUN 2021 and also as a Junior Executive for MACMUN 2020. Outside of MUN, you can usually find him fierce in debate as a Jeux De Commerce Central (JDCC) debate delegate, on campus raising money with McMaster UNICEF, or trading blows while fencing with the varsity team. He is excited to see delegates engage in stimulating conversations and debate around world issues again in-person during MACMUN 2022!
FARIS MECKLAI
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF EXTERNAL FINANCIAL PARTNERSHIPS
Faris is in his final year in the Arts and Science Program. In his role as USG External Financial Partnerships, Faris finds sponsors within the McMaster and Hamilton community to partner with MACMUN to provide programming and deliver a great conference. He has been involved with MUN since high school and values meeting new people with different perspectives. In his spare time, he enjoys playing geography quizzes on Sporcle, and watching too much Netflix. To Faris, "embracing change" means thriving in whatever situation the world throws at you.
ERIC ZHANG
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF EXTERNAL FINANCIAL PARTNERSHIPS
Eric is currently in his second year of Health Sciences. In his role as Under-Secretary-General of External Financial Partnerships, Eric supports the operations of MACMUN through seeking and fostering relationships with potential partners. This is Eric's second year involved in MUN and he encourages MUN newcomers to try it out! In his free time, Eric enjoys collecting sneakers and trying out new food spots in Hamilton. To Eric, "embracing change" means acting proactively to assess the current state of affairs to be able to efficiently consider, prepare and adapt to various scenarios that could arise in the future.
CHLOE DRAPEAU
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF MARKETING
Chloe is currently in her third year of HESE (Health, Engineering Science & Entrepreneurship) in iBioMed. As the VP/USG Marketing, Chloe focuses on generating and implementing marketing strategies to promote events and increase interest in MACMUN! This is Chloe’s first year in MACMUN, broadening her horizons in various topics to learn more about what it means to be a part of the comMUNity. You can find Chloe “studying” on campus almost every day and when she’s not “studying,” you can find her trying new food places. To Chloe, the theme of "embracing change" is very relevant to this school year. Even though everything is back in person, Chloe believes that many changes need to be accepted to create a new normal. Chloe is looking forward to having an in-person conference this year!
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ADITI VENKATRAMAN
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF MEDIA OPERATIONS
Aditi is currently in her fourth year of Health Sciences. As VP/USG Media Operations, Aditi focuses on organizing and executing the media-related components of the conference such as our Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube platforms. Aditi has previously been a delegate, member of the media team, and a crisis analyst at MACMUN. In her spare time, Aditi likes trying and creating new recipes, reading, or playing the piano. To Aditi, the conference theme this year is incredibly relevant to current events. The world has changed drastically over the past two years and "embracing change" means acknowledging challenges and differences and rising to the occasion to continue working towards a goal.
Junior Executives
Junior Executives are 1st or 2nd year students that support the Executive team in their endeavours, shadow one or more executive department(s), and assume a staff position during the MACMUN conference, whether that's as a committee chair, crisis analyst, or media team member. While constitutionally not a part of the Secretariat, they play a large role in the planning of the conference and also get an inside look at the process, gleaning valuable experience that can translate to future iterations of the conference or other opportunities in the future.
LILLIAN GUY
Lillian is a second-year student in the Justice, Political Philosophy and Law program. Having always been passionate about all things legal and political, she has been actively involved with Model UN since high school and was an ICJ delegate at MACMUN 2021. She recently served as the Assistant Conference Chair for Model City Hall and is currently working with MCH as Director of Operations. She is excited for the opportunity to work alongside the MACMUN secretariat and continue to use her own experiences to engage and educate. To Lillian, “embracing change” means accepting all the unpredictability that comes with life. If you approach situations with a willingness to learn and an open mind, you may be surprised at the results. Always being ready to embrace change is one of the most surefire ways to keep your life interesting!
OYIN ADERIBIGBE
Oyin is a first year Arts & Science student at McMaster University. She is thrilled to be serving as a Junior Executive on the MACMUN Executive Team this year. Her Model UN journey began when she joined her high school’s delegation as a novice delegate four years ago. Since then, her love for Model UN has blossomed and led her to be involved in several school and community-based initiatives. Oyin is passionate about creating positive environments in Model UN by providing support for delegates who haven’t been exposed to debating in a MUN setting before. To her, “embracing change” means approaching every experience in life with an open mind. In her spare time, she enjoys getting involved in her community, analyzing poetry and prose, learning different languages, and playing Just Dance. She is excited to see you all at MACMUN 2022!
VIKRAM ARORA
Vikram is a first-year student in the Honours Integrated Science program. As a Junior Executive, Vikram supports the operations, organization, and promotion of MACMUN and is excited to be a Crisis Analyst for the Ad Hoc Committee during the conference. Before joining MACMUN, Vikram was a member of his high school's Model United Nations team, participating in several regional, national, and international conferences as a delegate. Outside of MACMUN, Vikram can be found skiing, playing the piano, or spending time with friends. To Vikram, "embracing change" means that in times of hardship, one must persevere and adapt, as even though change can be challenging at times, it is unavoidable. The organization and design of MACMUN committees highlight the importance of this theme; delegates must be able to think on their feet, embrace different views and opinions, and adapt their ideas while discussing the significant issues presented.
ZAINAB IFTIKHAR
Zainab is a first-year Kinesiology student who is excited to serve as a Junior Executive on the MACMUN team and a Crisis Analyst on the Greek Mythology Crisis committee. She has 6 years of Model UN experience, having acted as a head delegate of her high school’s Model UN team. She is currently working for IMUNA as the Assistant Director of the Catalonian Crisis of NHSMUN 2022. In her free time, you can find Zainab listening to music, singing, playing the piano, or reading a fiction novel. To Zainab, "embracing change" means continuing to persist and work hard in the face of challenges and helping others around you do the same.