Eurasian Schools Debating Championships
# Eurasian Schools Debating Championships

The Eurasian Schools Debating Championships (ESDC) is an annual open English-language debating tournament for high school-level teams representing different countries. ESDC is open to national and school teams alike, depending on team cap.

The first edition was hosted by the Robert College Debate Society in Istanbul with 50 teams from 20 different countries.

## Format

Eurasian Schools Debating Championship debates use a special format known as 'World Schools Style Debating' as most of the teams esteem the tournament as a preparation for WSDC. World Schools Style is a combination of the British Parliamentary and Australian formats. In each debate there are eight speeches delivered by two three-member teams (the Proposition and the Opposition). Each speaker delivers an eight-minute speech; then both teams deliver a "reply speech" lasting four minutes, with the last word being reserved for the Proposition. Between the end of the first and the beginning of the last minute of an eight-minute speech, the opposing party may offer "points of information". The speaker may refuse these, but should take at least one or two points during his or her speech.

Teams in ESDC debate eight rounds before "breaking" into octo-finals. After first round, teams are paired with each other with power pairing. Team with the same number of wins play against each other. If there are more than one teams on the same point, then teams are paired randomly. Top sixteen teams with highest number of wins and speaker points advance into single elimination octo-finals.

## The Eurasian Schools Debating Council

During the inaugural ESDC, teams participating decided to form Eurasian Schools Debating Council which will govern the championships in a democratic manner. The formation of the charter is still in process.

## Principles of the Eurasian Schools Debating Championships

* Openness: ESDC will remain open to all teams of any formation as long as the space allows
* Flexibility: ESDC will seek to govern itself in a non-bureaucratic way
* Innovation: ESDC will seek to try novel ideas in debating

## Past championships

| Year | Champions | Runners-up | ESL Champions | Best Overall Speaker | Venue | Convener | Chief Adjudicator |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2023 | Aitchison College | Nixor A | Not Awarded | | Istanbul, Turkey | Hena Yaman & [] | Benjamin Goh, Luka Petrović, Erik Kazadi & Kallina Basli |
| 2022 | [] | [] | Not Awarded | Rafay Ahmed | Istanbul, Turkey | Aybala Esmer & Tuna Sağdan | [] |
| 2021 | WSDC Singapore | China Mulan | Not Awarded | Emma Soulanticas | Istanbul, Turkey | Lara Selin Seyahi & Atakan Topaloğlu | Kallina Basli |
| 2020 | Romania Blue | [] | Not Awarded | | Istanbul, Turkey | Emir Kırdan & Ilgın Sezer | Serban Pitic |
| 2019 | Team Greece Mzansi | Team LGS Paragon | Not Awarded | | Istanbul, Turkey | Beliz Aluç & Ege Özgüroğlu | Kallina Basli |
| 2018 | Karachi Grammar School | Team Greece Blue | Not Awarded | | Istanbul, Turkey | Ece Korkmaz & Aysu Sarıgül | Kip Oebanda & Kallina Basli |
| 2016 | Team South Africa | Team Romania Blue | Team Romania Blue | | Istanbul, Turkey | Ilayda Orhan & Tolga Ferdi Çalışır | Kip Oebanda & Kallina Basli |
| 2015 | Team South Africa | CIS - Hong Kong | Romania Dristor | | Istanbul, Turkey | Deniz Keleş & Tayfun Gür | Kip Oebanda |
| 2014 | Team Singapore | Gauteng Red | Team Romania | | Istanbul, Turkey | Barışcan Göç & Ege Sözgen | Tom McLennan & Kip Oebanda |
| 2013 | Team South Africa | Team Canada | Team Romania | | Istanbul, Turkey | Ayşenur Biçen (Aisenour Bitsen) & Mert Zorlular | Beth James |
| 2012 | Anglo Chinese Junior College | Sweden B | Sweden B | | Istanbul, Turkey | Kaan Ülgen & Koret Munguldar | Mehvesh Mumtaz Ahmed & Eirianna Kouri |
| 2011 | Team Singapore | Greece C | Greece C | | Istanbul, Turkey | Cem Zorlular | Evanthia Giannakouri & Can Talaz |

## Future championships

The 14th annual Eurasian Schools Debating Championship will be held in 2024.

