University debating contest

This year, Thailand hosted the world youth event, the 24th Universiade Bangkok 2007. Our country also has the honour of hosting another world youth event, the 28th World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC), taking place from December 27 to January 4. The event is a gathering of most of the world's top universities.

Thailand is hosting this world academic event for the first time, and is the fourth country in Asia to do so after the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia.

The event will benefit the Kingdom in terms of education, said Rev Bancha Saenghiran, president of Assumption University.

The event is organised in celebration of His Majesty of the King's 80th birthday. It is a challenge to hold this event because foreign students do not know about the Thai education system.

"The WUDU might have an important role as a stage for a new generation of national leaders who have knowledge and know how to solve problems and make decisions quickly," said Sitthichai Olankun, president of AstraZeneca Thailand.

Almost 700 teams, up from 330 teams the previous year, submitted applications and about 400 teams from 183 leading educational institutes all over the world have been selected to compete. Leading educational institutes are attending the competition including Yale University, Harvard College, Duke University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

There are four teams from Thailand: Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Mahidol University and Khon Kaen University. Normally five Thai universities participate in the competition but Assumption University, as a host institute, could not participate according to the World Universities Debating Council's constitution.

The winner will receive the Royal Trophy of His Majesty the King. It's the largest gathering of universities ever held in our country. And Thai representatives are working hard toward the competition.

"We have to research problems occurring all over the world now such as climate change and the Chinese economy because they might be topics for debate. We sometimes have a chance to participate in debating competitions held in other universities like Mahidol in order to practise before the world event," said Lissapat Kraikruan, a third-year student at Thammasat University.

The first world debate was organised in 1981 at Scotland's University of Glasgow, with 43 teams from seven countries. Last year it was hosted by the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Assumption University now has the honour of hosting the 28th WUDC.

This competition uses the British parliamentary debating style, the most challenging of all debates. It's different from debating competition that Thais know.

Four teams representing Opening Government, Opening Opposition, Closing Government and Closing Opposition compete in each round. The topics are varied, from economics and politics to society or even human rights. Debaters know the topics about 15 minutes before the start of the debate. Each debate speech is seven minutes long. During the second and fifth minutes the opposing side can stand up and ask questions known as Points of Information. But the speakers can either accept the POI and answer it or ask the opposing side to politely sit down.

Thepparith Senamengern, convenor of the 28th WUDC, said he strongly believed debating activity can boost students' potential. In a direct way the debaters improve their English and speak with confidence.

The 10-day tournament will take place in four venues including Assumption University's Suvarnnabhumi campus, Siam Park, the Ambassador City Hotel in Pattaya and Thai Alangkarn in Pattaya. So beyond the academic event the participants will also join in cultural events and a party on New Year's Eve. The budget for the event is about Bt30 million.

For more information, log on to www.assumptionworlds.com.

Suwicha Chanitnun

The Nation