About AUE Debate Club
The AUE, recognizing the need for its students to develop all 21st-century skills, established its Debate Club in 2016, and ever since, its core mission has been to help students find their own voice, build confidence speaking in public and express their ideas eloquently which has translated into success in their academic endeavors and life pursuits in general. By attending its weekly meetings, students learn to conduct research and assess sources as well as explain and support their own ideas with valid arguments and evidence.
Moreover, they learn to evaluate different viewpoints, finding the weak points in the opponent’s arguments. Understandably, the first crop of debate enthusiasts was eager to put their debate skills to the test. Thus, in cooperation with Dubai International Academic City, the AUE Debate Club hosted an inter-varsity debate competition that brought 17 universities from all over UAE to AUE’s campus in 2018. The AUE debate teams managed to come first not merely because of beginners’ luck but due to sheer determination to prove their merit.
Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 social distancing restrictions, the 2020 AUE Debate tournament had to be postponed, and student participation in the club was in decline. However, numerous faculty members, being seasoned debaters as students, have incorporated debating in the classroom, and thus interest in this intellectually stimulating activity remained strong.
Ever since in-person classes resumed, the AUE Debate Club has been going from strength to strength. Ergo, it is high time once again to get back into the swing of things by organizing the 2nd AUE Debate and Public Speaking Tournament.
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About AUEDPST
The AUE Debate and Public Speaking Tournament, organized by the AUE Debate Club, is an annual event following the American Parliamentary Style of Debating (APDA). It welcomes participants from various GCC and Arab countries universities and colleges. The tournament spans four days and includes English and Arabic debates and original oratory competitions. It aims to give university students from the UAE and other Gulf countries an opportunity to discuss important issues in today’s challenging world. Participating in the tournament allows students to improve critical analysis, public speaking, and negotiation skills while fostering connections with peers beyond their immediate community.
Why Debate
- Debate is a regulated public speaking clash between educated individuals, using strategy, content, and manner to support their case.
- Key components include logic, persuasion, respect, and knowledge, with participants disregarding their own views and beliefs on the matter.
- It encourages understanding the ideas of the other side, promoting a two-way equal exchange of arguments, information, and feedback to approach the truth and make better decisions.
- Debating develops speaking skills and turns individuals into global citizens.
- Expressing oneself eloquently, being heard, understood, and defending one's views are crucial for success in any field.
- Consistent practice broadens various skills like English, delivery, presentation, research, teamwork, organization, culture, and social awareness.
- In today's competitive globalized community, debating makes individuals more marketable and employable.
- It plays a vital role in various forms of communication, from job interviews to advocating for innovation.
- Debating benefits aspiring politicians, successful professionals, active citizens, and critical thinkers.
AUEDPST Rules & Procedures
- The AUE Debate and Public Speaking Tournament is a four-day event held on the premises of the American University in the Emirates in the Academic City, Dubai, UAE.
- The tournament will have an English and an Arabic track.
- All audience members, judges, and participants must silence all electronic devices during the tournament.
- Allowances will be made for speakers who double-entered to speak out of assigned order if there is a time conflict.
- Adjudicators must undergo mandatory judges’ training in the form of, but not limited to, online tests and training workshops prior to the tournament. Failure to do so will result in being expelled from the list of adjudicators.
- An online ballot system will be used so judges can submit ballots digitally. In the unlikely event of a malfunction, paper ballots will be used.
- A panel of an odd number of adjudicators will adjudicate each debate or set of assigned impromptu speaking or original oratory speeches. One of these shall be designated as Chairperson. In exceptional situations, and only in Phase 1, a debate may be adjudicated by a single experienced adjudicator.
- Any cases of misconduct on the part of judges, participants, audience members, or AUE personnel and students will be dealt with swiftly and with strict adherence to AUE’s code of ethics.
- Universities will initially be limited to a total of ten (10) entries, with no more than eight in an event. Extra entries will be allowed only as space permits, with precedence going to UAE universities. Each university should provide one judge for every six entries.
- In the interest of transparency, all participants and judges will be given a code and for the duration of the preliminary rounds every effort must be made to safeguard their identity. To that end, debate teams must choose a name (with no indication of the country of origin or university they attend) and refrain from giving any other details other than their first names to adjudicators. Their full names and the university they attend will be known only to the Tab Room personnel. The tab room will be accessible only to the Tab Master, his/her assistants, and the president of the Organizing Committee.
- All persons participating in the AUE Debate and Public Speaking Tournament, or in any activity associated with the tournament, shall always and in all circumstances conduct themselves with respect for all other participants.
AUE DEBATE TOURNAMENT Schedule
Friday, 6th February 2026
9:00 – 9:30 Welcome-Registration of participating Universities
9:30–10:30 Opening Ceremony
10:30- 11:00 Announcement of assigned rooms and teams’ positions
Debate Judges Briefing
11:00 -12:00 Debate Round I (Prepared) Open Adjudication
12:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break- Prayer
14.00-14.15 Announcement of the debate motion, teams’ positions, and assigned
rooms
14:15-14:45 Preparation time for Debate Round II- Original Oratory judges’ briefing
14:45-15:45 Debate Round II (Impromptu) Open Adjudication
15:45-16:00 Coffee break
16:00 – 17:00 Round I Original Oratory (Arabic & English track)
Saturday, 7th February 2026
09.00 – 09.30 Registration of participants-judges
9:30-10:00 Announcement of the teams’ positions & the assigned rooms
10:00 – 11:00 Debate Round III(Prepared)
11:00- 12:00 Original Oratory Round II
12:00 – 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30-13:45 Announcement of the debate motion, the teams’ positions & the assigned rooms
13:45- 14:15 Preparation for Round IV
14:15-15:15 Debate Round IV(Impromptu)
15:15-15:45 Coffee break
15:45- -16:00 Debate Break Announcement-Announcement of the debate motion, the teams’ positions & the assigned rooms
16:00–16:45 Debate Quarter Finals Prep.
16:45-17:45 Debate Quarterfinals
17:45-20:30 Students’ party – Debate Quarter Finals Results Announcement
Sunday, 8th February 2026
9:00- 9:15 Announcement of the debate motion, the teams’ positions & the assigned rooms.
9:15 – 10:00 Debate Semi-finals Prep.
10:00-11:00 Debate Semi-Finals
11:00-12:00 Original Oratory Finals (English Track)
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch Break
13:00-13:15 Debate Semi-Finals Results-Announcement of the Debate Finals
Motion and the teams’ positions
13:15-14:15 Original Oratory Finals (Arabic Track) – Debate Finals prep.
14:15- 15:15 Debate Finals
15:15-15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 –16:30 Awards & Closing Ceremony
AUEDPST Highlights
3rd AUEDPST
The 3rd AUE Debate and Public Speaking Tournament built upon the momentum of previous editions with record participation and dynamic themes addressing global challenges. Teams from regional universities showcased exceptional analytical depth and eloquence across bilingual rounds. The competition strengthened academic networks, inspired civic engagement, and celebrated debate as a cornerstone of 21st-century education. AUE once again proved to be a hub for articulate, informed, and globally minded young leaders.
2nd AUEDPST
After a hiatus caused by the pandemic, the AUE Debate Club reignited its mission through the 2nd Debate and Public Speaking Tournament. Reviving the excitement of intellectual exchange, the 2024 edition expanded its reach to universities across the GCC and Arab world. Following the American Parliamentary (APDA) format, it featured English and Arabic debates alongside original oratory contests. The event fostered collaboration, confidence, and cross-cultural dialogue, reaffirming AUE’s commitment to nurturing critical thinkers and persuasive communicators.
1st AUEDPST
The inaugural AUE Inter-Varsity Debate Competition, held in 2018 in collaboration with Dubai International Academic City, marked the beginning of a vibrant debating culture at AUE. Bringing together 17 universities from across the UAE, the event showcased young voices tackling contemporary issues with logic, evidence, and conviction. The AUE Debate Club’s teams emerged champions—not by chance, but through determination, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence that continues to define the club’s spirit today.
American University in the Emirates
P.O. Box: 503000, Dubai, UAE
Phone: + 971 4 4499 000
Fax: + 971 4 4291 205
Email: [email protected]
www.aue.ae | Toll free 800AUE (283)