Byzantine Brilliance: Court of Emperor Justinian, 527

Dive into the tumultuous times of 6th century Constantinople, where delegates navigate the unpredictable waters of Byzantine politics, religious divisions, and military strategy that shaped the trajectory of one of the world’s most powerful empires. From the ashes of the Nika riots to the brink of war with Persia, will the committee successfully navigate the expansion of the Eastern Roman Empire, or will internal strife and external threats tear the empire apart?

Amidst the chaos, delegates will investigate the groundbreaking legal reforms of the Corpus Juris Civilis — shaping the future of society for centuries to come — navigate the intricate web of religious controversies, from debates over Christian orthodoxy to the balance of power with Monophysites, and embrace the cultural and architectural renaissance in Constantinople. But secret alliances and hidden political schemes within the court threaten Justinian’s grip on power. Stakes are high, for one wrong move could see the fall of the empire.

In this committee, expect the unexpected. Military setbacks, political betrayals, and religious upheavals await at every turn. Are you ready to leave your mark on the Byzantine legacy? Join us in the Court of Justinian, where every decision has the power to shape the fate of an empire.


Rishabh Subramanian

Chair

Rishabh is a second-year student at the college, majoring in Computer Science and Economics. He hails from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, a city known for its world-renowned biryani and absolutely nothing else.

In MUN, Rishabh was an active member of the Hyderabad MUN circuit, having attended over 10 conferences and chaired committees at 2.

Outside of MUN, Rishabh is also a singer in the University’s South Asian Acapella group, AAG, and loves to play the guitar. His favorite pastime is learning absolutely anything, from teaching himself to play the flute to learning about the intricacies of a smoke detector.

When asked about his favorite MUN experience, he said it was giving a speech as the dictator of the fictional country of Wadiya from the movie The Dictator as a crisis break, so be prepared for some exciting crises and way too much random information.

If you want to reach out to him (and risk a bombardment of information), feel free to email him at rishabhs@uchicago.edu.

Rudra Patel

Crisis Director

Rudra, better known for his origami mastery, is an active, engaged, and ready-to-do-anything chair of ChoMUN XXVIII. With mixed feelings for MUN coming into the college, he got coerced into being AC for the CSICOP committee in ChoMUN XXVII. As it turns out, he had the time of his life: singing, dancing, writing crazy notes, and planning crisis breaks from clones to big-foots!

Hence, when he got the opportunity to make a committee for ChoMUN, he just couldn’t say no! As a second year student from Mumbai majoring in Economics and Data Science, Rudra’s motto in life is ‘Always having fun!’, which he embodies with his never-ending passion for joining random societies on campus. Be it learning Nahuatl, playing UChicago Survivor, testing his skills in playing the carillon, spending 5 hours on an origami dragon, participating in cleanups, trying to join an acapella, or learning about dinosaurs in the paleo club, Rudra is always down to try activities to keep himself entertained.

If you want to reach out to him about anything from wildlife to the intricacies of 3D printing, feel free to email him at rudraspatel@uchicago.edu.

Anuar Kul-Mukhammed

CRISIS DIRECTOR

Anuar is a second-year college student majoring in Business Economics and Computer Science. Born in New York but raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Anuar grew up with an international worldview and an appreciation for global diplomacy.

Anuar was an active member of his small but dedicated local MUN circuit. He participated as an AC for CHOMUN last year and received immense enjoyment playing out crisis breaks and chefin’ up the most intricate crisis notes.

Aside from MUN, Anuar enjoys going to the gym, reading various history books, and as of late, is embarking on a journey to prepare for his first marathon! Anuar is incredibly excited to be your Crisis Director for CHOMUN XXVIII and wishes you a fruitful conference.

Reach out to him at anuarkm@uchicago.edu.


Secretariat oversight:

Khristian Bass, Under-secretary-general