“I think I am a decent delegate but I am better as a chair.”

When searching for people to interview, I couldn’t forget the dynamic Daniel Henke, who I met during EuroMUN 2024 while having dinner with the MUNTUM delegation. His energy and passion for MUN made him an obvious choice for this feature. He has a bachelor in Mathematics and is pursuing his Master's in Data Science and Business Administration in Copenhagen, a city that has long been on my travel bucket list (not the typical MUNer profile). 

Daniel’s MUN journey began in high school in Schwabmünchen, Bavaria (Germany), thanks to a recommendation from his mum. 

Daniel dove into his first two conferences as the youngest delegation member and hasn’t looked back since. His passion for MUN continued to grow as he attended conferences across Europe, notably BIGMUN in Copenhagen, one of the largest high school conferences.

When I asked him about the key to overcoming the nerves that come with public speaking, Daniel shared advice for first-timers: “Every speech gets easier.” He stressed the importance of a solid opening speech, noting that after getting through that, the second speech—usually on the General Speakers List (GSL)—feels less intimidating.

While Daniel enjoys being both a chair and a delegate, he admitted he prefers chairing. “As a delegate, I tend to be too much,” he laughed. However, as a chair, he appreciates the responsibility of knowing the Rules of Procedure (ROP) and ensuring a balanced and fair debate. One of his tips for fellow chairs? “Aim for balance and manage speaking time well to keep the debate engaging.” His key commitment as a chair is to be attentive and to help facilitate debate by actively moderating.      

Like many experienced MUN participants, Daniel is particularly fond of small, expert committees. “The best debates happen in UNSC,” he said, adding that these settings require participants to know their material. He also mentioned how much he enjoys using MUN Command, especially when submitting motions as a delegate: “It makes the debate so intense.” He’s now such a fan of MUN Command that he admitted he wouldn’t want to attend conferences that don’t use it.

As someone who’s worn many hats in the MUN world, Daniel has also stepped into leadership roles, notably as Secretary-General of IsarMUN 2024. He candidly shared that one of the challenges they faced was managing expectations regarding applications. “We struggled to meet the number of applications we had hoped for,” he admitted, praising mymun's role in advertising the conference and facilitating registration. The conference was a success thanks to hard work and teamwork, with excellent delegates bringing their A-game. Daniel also highlighted the usefulness of the mymun calendar for organising and attending conferences.

When I asked him about his current MUN roles, Daniel revealed that he’s now the Director-General of CBSMUN 2025, focusing on academics and managing international partnerships.

Their goal is to expand the conference internationally while keeping the local crowd engaged—a challenge Daniel is excited to tackle.

In reflecting on his MUN journey, Daniel credits the Model United Nations TU Munich (MUNTUM) club for keeping him connected to the MUN world after returning from the USA. “Without MUNTUM, I wouldn’t have attended any MUNs at all,” he said. Beyond the debates, Daniel cherishes friendships and fun traditions, such as the famous cow costume punishment at KAMUN 2023 and the legendary stealing of the gavel. 

Daniel admitted he had considered stepping away from MUN after IsarMUN 2024. “I was thinking of letting IsarMUN be my last conference, but I was left unsatisfied,” he confessed. Now, as Director-General of CBSMUN 2025, it’s clear that Daniel’s MUN journey is far from over. With his passion and expertise, the future of CBSMUN looks incredibly bright.

As we wrapped up, Daniel couldn’t resist sharing one last cheeky detail: he never travels to a conference without his signature pineapple glasses. He reserves them for the fanciest event, typically the gala. Whether he’s chairing a heated UNSC debate or making a fashion statement, one thing’s certain—Daniel knows how to keep the fun alive at MUN.