Doha: QatarDebate, a member of Qatar Foundation, has successfully concluded the first stage of the International Schools Debating Championship, attracting substantial student participation from around the globe.
According to Qatar News Agency, the initial stage comprised five rounds of live online debates, with participants evaluated by a panel of 60 skilled adjudicators. Students from 36 countries participated in the event, which was designed to foster cultural exchange and the sharing of ideas among students from diverse backgrounds.
The teams that qualified for the final stage are from Algeria, Bahrain, Canada, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, and Turkiye. QatarDebate highlighted that the qualifications for the next stage are a testament to the teams’ efforts, with the final round set to be held in Doha from June 28 to 30, featuring teams from the 16 aforementioned countries.
In preparation for the championship, national tournaments were organized in 15 countries in collaboration with local partners to select the top-performing teams. These countries include Algeria, Bahrain, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Singapore, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkiye.
QatarDebate also conducted training workshops for adjudicators and coaches to enhance the technical readiness of the teams and improve the quality of performances during the qualifiers. Evaluation criteria include the strength of arguments, clarity of expression, persuasiveness, and audience engagement.
The championship is recognized as an international academic event aiming to promote dialogue and debate among high school students aged 14 to 18. It encourages discussions on varied topics such as tourism, health, technology, social life, and philosophy, thereby broadening students’ intellectual horizons.
Jaber Abu Humaid, a debate coach at QatarDebate, commended the high-level performances of the participating teams, noting that the championship’s main objective is to instill a culture of dialogue among youth and to develop their skills in constructive debate and academic argumentation.
QatarDebate has expressed pride in the achievements of the first stage and looks forward to hosting an exceptional final round.