Place changes the question
Policy begins in lived experience.
Convening in Addis asks delegates to connect continental policy to the people, streets and institutions it is meant to serve.
01 · About YMAUFounded at Yale · Convening in Africa
Our mission
Africa’s next leaders will not wait for a seat at the table.
They will build the table.The YMAU V delegation · Accra, GhanaOfficial YMAU V media archive
Explore About
Explore AboutOur mission
Why YMAU
YMAU is a student-run simulation of the African Union, built for young people who want to understand power by practising how it moves.
Delegates research continental questions, represent member states, negotiate across difference and draft policy in committee rooms modelled on the institutions of the African Union.
The experience has always extended beyond debate: curated speakers, leadership training and workshops help delegates find their voices and carry practical skills beyond the conference.
From 15-17 March 2027, the sixth edition convenes in Addis Ababa, the city at the diplomatic centre of the continent, in partnership with the African Union Commission’s Youth Division.
Practice changes the student
A mission you can rehearse.
Research becomes argument, argument becomes coalition and coalition becomes a resolution another person must be willing to sign.
Four commitments.
One continental room.
Diplomacy in practice
Negotiation, coalition-building and consensus become practised skills, not abstract ideas.
Continental integration
Committee rooms ask what cooperation across institutions, borders and sectors can make possible.
Youth as architects
Delegates are treated as authors of the continent’s next chapter, not an audience waiting outside it.
Access by design
Diverse representation, affordability and financial support have been part of YMAU’s stated mission since its founding.
Final YMAU VI fees and financial-aid details will be published once confirmed.
A city gathered · Addis AbabaOfficial YMAU V media archive
Across borders
A conference in Addis. A network far beyond it.
Ninety-seven student ambassadors across more than fifteen countries are helping YMAU VI reach campuses, communities and prospective delegates around the world.
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Built by people,
edition by edition.
01
Conference recordYMAU VI concept noteRead the document Our history
How a Yale idea moved onto African ground.
02Our founders
The student leaders who began the institution.
03Secretary-General
Meet the student leading the sixth edition.
04Our Secretariat
The team building the conference from the inside.
05YMAU VI Ambassadors
A network carrying the invitation across borders.
06Careers for Yale students
Join the student team building the sixth edition.