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 The Tournament

The AUE Debate and Public Speaking High School Tournament, organized by the AUE Debate Club, is an annual event following the American Parliamentary Style of Debating (APDA). It welcomes participants from various schools in the UAE. The tournament spans three days and includes debates (in English) and original oratory (in Arabic and English) competitions. It aims to give high school students from the UAE 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.

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.

IMPORTANT DATES

Agenda

Friday 3rd October 2025
9:30 – 10:00	Welcome– Registration of participating schools
10:00 – 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	Refreshment Break
16:00 – 17:00	Round I Original Oratory (Arabic & English track)

Saturday 4th October 2025
9:30 – 10:00	Registration of participants – judges
10:00 – 10:30	Announcement of the teams’ positions & the assigned rooms
10:30 – 11:30	Debate Round III (Prepared)
11:30 – 12:30	Original Oratory Round II
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch Break – Prayer
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	Refreshment 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 Preparations
16:45 – 17:45	Debate Quarterfinals
17:45 – 20:30	Students’ party – Debate Quarter Finals Results Announcement

Sunday 5th October 2025
9:30 – 9:45	Announcement of the debate motion, the teams’ positions & the assigned rooms
9:45 – 10:30	Debate Semi–Finals Preparation
10:30 – 11:30	Debate Semi–Finals
11:30 – 12:30	Original Oratory Finals (English Track)
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch Break – Prayer
13:30 – 13:45	Debate Semi – Finals Results – Announcement of the Debate Finals Motion and the teams’ positions
13:45 – 14:45	Original Oratory Finals (Arabic Track) – Debate Finals preparations
14:45 – 15:45	Debate Finals
15:45 – 16:00	Refreshment Break
16:00 – 17:00	Awards & Closing Ceremony

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)