Qatardebate’s 6th International Debating Championship Attracts Universities To Turkey

The art of debate has a long history in Islamic civilization, says debating expert ahead of the 6th International Universities Debating Championship, which launched today in Istanbul, Turkey.

A global debating event that attracts students from around the world, the International Universities Debating Championship is being held from June 17-22, 2022, where students discuss and exchange ideas in Arabic on societal and global challenges and pressing contemporary issues. The tournament also provides an opportunity for attendees to network, exchange experiences, and build bridges of communication based on dialogue.

Its first IUDC tournament to be held outside of Qatar, the event is a milestone for QatarDebate Center, who have partnered with Fatih Sultan Mehmet University, its strategic partner, and organizing partner İbn Haldun Üniversitesi, to host the tournament in Turkey. Arab, Asian, European, and American countries are also participating in the event, some for the first time in Arabic language debates.

Abdulrahman I. Al-Subaie Outreach Programs Manager at QatarDebate, said: “QatarDebate organizes the International Universities Debating Championship, which is the largest global event concerned with the art of Arabic debate, every two years.

“The championship, this year, is a forum for bright minds in the field of debate, with more than 500 debaters and judges from 48 different countries gathering to represent more than 90 universities. Members and graduates of the Elite Academy, as well as QatarDebate ambassadors, are participating in the tournament, which includes two categories of competition: the open category in Arabic; and the Arabic language category for non-native speakers.”

Al-Subaie explained that all the attendees received specialized training and participated in a training tournament online before the event itself to ensure they were prepared and could give their best performance, adding that this contributes to the formation of a broader culture and deeper knowledge and understanding of both the debate and language, motivating them to read and research beforehand.

He also pointed out that the international championship is one of the largest events in the field of debate, and that QatarDebate, a member of Qatar Foundation, aims to create an incubating environment for the global Arabic-speaking debate community to help spread the culture of dialogue and empower young minds with effective communication and critical, analytical and creative thinking skills.

“It contributes to pushing Arab youth to be proud of their language and encourages non-Arab youth to learn and practice it within a safe and competitive educational environment full of enthusiasm and fun. This is the first time the IUDC tournament has been organized outside Qatar, and despite the challenges posed by organizing the tournament abroad, our close network and  relationships with the debate communities in various countries enables us to organize successful continental tournaments,” he said.

Al-Subaie believes that Istanbul is the right choice for this new experience due to Turkey's permanent participation in various international championships for Arabic debates in schools and universities, its ease of access to debaters, and its tourist readiness to receive participating delegations, saying: "Through our strategic partnership with Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh University in Turkey, and within the agreements signed between Qatar and the Turkish Republic, we were able today to expand the experience to give the international tournament a different and new flavor by hosting it in Istanbul."

Abdul Samad Kocak, Vice-Chairman of the Debating Committee at the Center for Arabic Language Studies and Debating, at Fatih Sultan Mehmet University, believes there are common goals between the two institutions, saying: "Cooperation with QatarDebate has shortened the long road for us by exchanging experiences and holding joint events for university and school debates in Turkey, hosting regional and international tournaments, and holding seminars and workshops in the art of debate, and training debaters and judges.”

Pointing out that more than two million students at all academic levels are currently learning Arabic in Turkey, Kocak said the university wanted to establish a center that works to spread and develop the Arabic language in education, including the method of debate in Arabic. "The art of debate has a long history in Islamic civilization, in which many valuable books, explanations and footnotes were written, and it was taught in most scientific schools in the Islamic world. In our modern age, this science has spread all over the world,” he said.