Ian Lu, Under-Secretary General for Business
What do you like most about your job?
The best part of being the Business USG is that I have the opportunity to problem-solve a wide array of tasks. For instance, some of my work entails designing social media posts, sending out emails, and searching for suitable suppliers. These tasks are very different from each other and can allow me to practice different skills and deal with different challenges, which I find to be very interesting.
Why did you want to be a USG?
I was involved in my high school MUN society for four consecutive years and made some of my closest friends there. Heading into university I hoped to stay involved with high school Model UN and continue creating joyful experiences through Model UN. Hence when I knew about an opportunity to help organise Oxford MUN as an USG for Oxford Global I submitted my application in hopes of staying involved and meeting interesting people like I did in high school.
Any advice for delegates?
I became involved in competing at Model UN conferences since the beginning of high school and have continued to participate until the last year of high school. One of the main things that motivated me to continue being a delegate is that I had very little peer pressure from my high school MUN club to win big awards and had fun while participating. One key advice I would thus give is that having a positive mindset and enjoying your time at MUN conferences is much more important than the award itself - treating the conference as an experience rather than a competition will go a long way to creating joyful memories and positive experiences.
What is one obscure or oddly specific talent you have?
One oddly specific talent I have is that I fall asleep very well on incredibly shaky vehicles by sleeping while unconsciously holding onto a handle. I discovered this when I went on an archaeology dig this summer, where the travel to our dig site was full of bumpy dirt roads and rocky terrain. I managed to stay asleep for most of the trip despite the car shaking because I can unconsciously hold onto the car’s handles tightly and keep myself positioned while sleeping.