Abdulrahman Al Subaie, Programme Director at QatarDebate speaking during the ceremony.
Doha: The 7th International Universities Debating Championship, organised by the QatarDebate Centre, commenced at the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday, drawing over 600 participants from more than 50 countries.
This event is one of the largest international Arabic debate competitions, bringing together students from various cultures and backgrounds to engage in rigorous intellectual exchanges.
The opening ceremony featured speeches from prominent figures in the debate community.
Abdulrahman Alsubaie, Programme Director at QatarDebate, in an exclusive interview with The Peninsula, emphasised the educational goals of the championship. “This year, we didn’t have a specific theme for the championship. The main goal was to make sure that all debaters did their homework, their research, because they would be debating politics, health care, sports, and many different topics. That’s why we tried to push them to be up to date and aware of the global issues that we are facing,” he stated.
Alsubaie also highlighted the impact of the championship on fostering debate cultures worldwide, stressing: “We saw from this championship people who took the idea of QatarDebate and adopted it in their homes, where they established debate centres. They should continue what they’re doing; this is just the beginning for them. QatarDebate will keep supporting them even after the event.”
Participants are competing in two categories: native Arabic speakers and non-native Arabic speakers, with debates covering a broad range of contemporary issues such as social justice, economic development, and environmental sustainability.
Muhammad Riyas, a debate judge from India, expressing his enthusiasm for the event said, “I am so happy to participate as a judge and to engage with vibrant young people, and students representing different cultures, countries, and universities. They have different thoughts to reshape the world and to find solutions for the upcoming problems.”
For many participants, the championship is a unique opportunity to engage with peers from different parts of the world. Younes Erwin, a debater from Morocco, shared his excitement: “I came to Qatar to represent my country, Morocco, in the championship. It is an opportunity to build networks with youth coming from different continents to exchange expertise, experience, and ideas”.
Similarly, Mohammed Noufal, a young debater from India highlighted the significance of the event for the debating community, and said, “We give and take the experience of debate as an art form of informing about Indian culture. It is a blessing to be part of a large community of debate to ensure that we are open to other opinions. I’ve been the best debater in India two times, and I think this debate experience is the best I’ve ever had.”
In his turn, Mohammed ayad berrehail, an Algerian debater stated: "it's all about the journey not the destination, so it is the international universities debating competition, it's all about the memories and the experiences and the ideas we share, more then the debate and the competition itself ".
The championship, organised in partnership with Doha Forum, Al Jazeera Media Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Translation and Interpretation Institute, and Doha International Family Institute, will continue over five days. The top teams and best individual speakers will be recognised during the closing ceremony on Wednesday.
