In a highly competitive event featuring over 150 debaters representing 42 American universities, Duke University emerged as the champion in the fourth American Arabic University Debate Championship. The tournament was organized by the Qatar Debate Center in collaboration with the University of Utah, which hosted the event.
Duke University’s victory came after three intense days of debates, bringing together some of the brightest young minds to discuss critical global issues in the Arabic language. Participants came from diverse age groups and academic backgrounds, representing universities from across the United States.
The competition consisted of four rounds, followed by a semi-final round and concluded with the award ceremony, honoring the winning teams, top speakers, partners, and distinguished guests.
In a final round that drew significant attention from prominent figures, participating teams, and local and international media, the winners and the best speakers of the championship were announced in the closing ceremony hosted by Saad Al-Assad.
Duke University secured the first place in the open category, followed by Carnegie Mellon University as the runner-up. Brigham Young University claimed the top position in the fourth American Arabic University Debate Championship for speakers of languages other than Arabic.
The Fourth American Championship
In his closing remarks, Abdelrahman Al-Subeai, the Program Manager at Qatar Debate Center, praised the efforts invested in making the championship a success. He also commended the management of the University of Utah for hosting the tournament and expanding the partnership that began seven years ago. The partnership was solidified in Doha through the signing of a memorandum of understanding, emphasizing the enrichment of dialogue and providing opportunities for young individuals to engage in enriching and constructive experiences.
Al-Subeai reiterated the commitment to support the efforts of the American University Debate Union and its initiatives aimed at unifying efforts and promoting Arabic-language debates in the United States.
Participants welcomed Qatar Debate Center’s dedication to introducing the art of debate and merging diverse cultures, alongside fostering cross-continental communication by discussing current global issues in Arabic and other languages.
Dr. Iman Saadah, a member of the tournament’s judging panel, stressed the high regard for the championship, stemming from Qatar Debate Center’s efforts to enhance the skills of Arabic-language communication and allowing students to be part of the curricula. She noted that the benefits of these debates exceeded expectations, especially in supporting the Arabic language and significantly enhancing students’ skills.
Noura Marzouka, an associate at Harvard University and a member of the judging committee, highlighted the significance of participating in these tournaments. She mentioned that students strive toward this goal during the semester to reap the rewards of rich debates and intellectual friendships formed during the championship.
Marzouka added, “We look forward to enjoying the arguments and debates witnessed in the championship. The participants, representing diverse backgrounds and fields of study, discuss current and vital topics in American universities, which gives a positive impression of the importance of debates.”
Mariam Taleb, a member of the American Debate Union, emphasized that these debates contribute to improving the quality of dialogue to reach a point of accepting other perspectives, despite differing opinions. She stressed the necessity of shedding light on issues from various angles that concern American society and other communities.
The participants lauded Qatar Debate Center’s efforts in spreading debate culture and open dialogue. The center’s initiatives have expanded and gained popularity by building bridges of cooperation with numerous institutions to support and promote the art of debate and open dialogue in multiple countries, including Kuwait, Oman, Sudan, Jordan, the Maghreb Arab countries, East Asia, Europe, and the United States.
As part of these endeavors, the center has launched unique programs designed to promote its message worldwide. This includes the Ambassadors Program and the Elite Academy Program, both of which feature a group of young people from around the world carrying the center’s message.
