Together with Kulosaaren yhteiskoulun lukio, Kauniaisten lukio, Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu (SYK) and Gymnasiet Grankulla samskola, Mattlidens is a participant in the Model European Parliament. Several times a year, a simulated parliamentary meeting of the EU is organised in an EU country (International MEP and Baltic Sea Region MEP). Each school is allowed to send one representative to participate in committee and plenary work. Participants stay with host families and work together with young people from other EU countries.
We aim to pay the participation fees and travel expenses for all delegates through funding, but depending on the funding available, it may be that students will have to cover the difference.
The MEP is a demanding but rewarding experience. In the spring term, a Finnish national MEP session is organized in the capital region. Approximately 10 delegates from each school participate. To be able to participate in an international or Baltic MEP, it is required to participate in the national session. Delegates are chosen throughout the year, corresponding to the timing of the sessions.
Anna Martikainen is the coordinator of MEP activities at the school.
Model United Nations (MUN) is a fast-paced simulation of the UN practiced in schools and universities around the world. Students develop their speech and debate skills, debating how current global issues should be resolved by the world’s nations.
The school attends two international simulations: BERMUN (Berlin, November) and BIGMUN (Birkerød/Copenhagen, February). Student delegates are trained each year and must apply to join the school's delegation. No prior knowledge of the MUN or subject knowledge is required or even expected.
Meetings on Tuesdays after school.
Kenneth Lai coordinates MUN activities at school.
Mattlidens gymnasium’s sister city school in Shanghai is Luwan Senior High School. Like Mattliden, Luwan has two lines of study, the Chinese national curriculum and the British Columbia (BC) curriculum. During COVID, our students exchanged e-mails with one another as digital pen pals. This is the first academic year we are returning to in-person exchanges, which we hope to run every other year, starting this year!
Kenneth Lai coordinates the Shanghai sister city exchange.