For the first time in the 51-year history of the Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN), university students from Iraq will participate in this weekend’s conference, an annual simulation of the United Nations.

The visit of these six Iraqi students marks the first time in 35 years that Iraqi students have participated in a formal international conference, according to Robert Kerr, cultural affairs officer of the American embassy at Baghdad.

“Iraq is now a part of the world community again, yet people from Iraq, especially students, have no outside exposure to the rest of the world,” Kerr said.

During their five-day visit to Cambridge, the four males and two females will experience campus life as well as participate in the conference, which is sponsored by the International Relations Council (IRC) and open to college students worldwide.

Their trip—costing over $20,000—will be entirely paid for by the IRC and other Harvard sponsors, including the Ann Radcliffe Trust.

Hailing from Baghdad and Basrah, the students were assigned to represent the country of Australia during the UN simulation. They will also get the chance to interact with 2,100 students from over 15 different countries participating in the event.

“The idea behind a model United Nations is to look at international relations with other’s eyes,” said Matthew R. Smith ‘05, secretary-general of HNMUN.

Getting full exposure to the typically busy life of a Harvard student, the Iraqi visitors will have a jam-packed schedule during their time in Cambridge.

The students will attend the conference course Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality 1203, “Gender and the Cultures of US Imperialism,” appear at a variety of luncheons and receptions, and participate in a panel discussion open to the entire Harvard community.

Smith said he expects the college-aged students to offer an “interesting spin on Iraq.”

“They lived at the center of what is going on in international relations,” he said.

“Personal beliefs, perspectives, or aspirations on the Iraqi situation are not what we see in the news media,” said Dhruv Taneja ’07, an IRC board member and organizer of the Iraqi delegation’s on-campus events.

According to Kerr, the students are busy preparing for the conference and “very energized about the chance to come to the U.S.”

Kerr said that the visiting students are aware of the attention their visit will garner and feel the pressure of serving as representatives of the new Iraq after the overthrow of former dictator Saddam Hussein.

“Most of them expressed it was a dream for them to be able to come. They are aware of the fact that this type of travel would not have been possible under Saddam,” he added.