European Universities Debating Championship

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University Parliamentary Debating
World Universities Debating Championship
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All-Asian Intervarsity  · Asian Universities  · Australasia · Europe  · John Smith Memorial Mace  · North America
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The European Universities Debating Championship (EUDC, colloquially known as "Europeans" or "Euros") is an annual debating tournament for teams from universities in Europe. The competition uses the British Parliamentary Debate format (the same debate format used at the World Universities Debating Championship).

Contents

[edit] Origins of the championships

The championship's origins are murky, with an attempt to mirror Worlds for Europe in the hope of promoting debating in Central Europe in particular having had several false starts.

The championships as they are known today were first held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands at Erasmus University from 8-11 April 1999. Subsequent tournaments have been held at a similar time of year, although the competition has become slightly longer to accommodate the growth of the event.

The competition in 1999 involved 32 teams of two speakers, but has now grown to involve over 100 teams each year. Institutions can enter more than one team based on the ability of the organisers to accommodate them. Some institutions also enter teams from more than one separate debating societies within their institution, which has proved controversial at times.

The competition's supporters description of the tournament as "Europe's equivalent of Worlds" has proved controversial among those who consider the John Smith Memorial Mace to be the gold standard for debating teams in the region, despite the fact that that only teams from universities in the British Isles are eligible to participate in the the Mace.

[edit] Participants

Participating teams are drawn principally from European tertiary education institutions, although teams from the Middle East and central Asian institutions are eligible pending the formation of similar competitions in their regions. Students at the Inns of Court are also eligible subject to some conditions.

[edit] The competition

The competition has a main section of several rounds of debating, after which the top 16 teams proceed to the elimination rounds (the "break"). There is also a separate break of 16 teams for English-as-Second-Language (ESL) teams. ESL teams may also simultaneously break into the main tournament knock-out rounds.

[edit] List of Championships

[edit] Past championships

Year European Champions Host
2008 University of Oxford (England) Tallinn University (Estonia)
2007 University of Cambridge (England) Koç University (Turkey)
2006 University of Oxford (England) Berlin Debating Union (Germany)
2005 Durham University (England) University College Cork (Ireland)
2004 Utrecht University (Netherlands) Durham University (England)
2003 University of Bristol (England) Zagreb University (Croatia)
2002 University of Oxford (England) Haifa University (Israel)
2001 Inner Temple (England) University of Ljubljana* (Slovenia)
2000 University of Oxford (England) University of Aberdeen (Scotland)
1999 University of Oxford (England) Erasmus University (Netherlands)
1994-98 Not held
1993 University of Bristol (England) Deree College (Greece)
1992 University of Oxford (England) Leiden University (Netherlands)
1991 University of Oxford (England) Copenhagen (Denmark)
1988-90 Not held
1987 No information No information
1986 University of Strathclyde (Scotland) No information

* The tournament was actually held in Portorož, on the Adriatic coast of Slovenia.

[edit] Future championships

2009 - to be hosted by Newcastle University, England

[edit] English-as-Second-Language (ESL) Competition Winners

Year ESL Competition Winner
2008 Babeş-Bolyai University (Romania)
2007 Tallinn University (Estonia)
2006 University of Bonn (Germany)
2005 Erasmus University (Netherlands)
2004 Interdisciplinary Center (Israel)
2003 Erasmus University (Netherlands)
2002 Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
2001 Erasmus University (Netherlands)
2000 University of Tartu (Estonia)
1999 Deree College (Greece)


[edit] Best Speakers of the Tournament

Year Speaker University
2008 James Dray
Simon Quinn		 University of Oxford (England)
University of Oxford (England)
2007 Sam Block University of Cambridge (England)
2006 Will Jones University of Oxford (England)
2005 Niall Kennedy University of Glasgow (Scotland)
2004 Derek Lande University College Cork (Ireland)
2003 David Penny University of Oxford (England)
2002 Matt Spence University of Oxford (England)
2001 Mila Turajlic Yugo Deb Net (Yugoslavia)
2000 Fergal Davis Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
1999 Michael Birshan University of Oxford (England)


[edit] Grand Finalist & ESL Champion Team Members

[edit] 2008 (Tallinn University, Estonia)

Champions:

Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] 2007 (Koç University, Turkey)

Champions:

Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] 2006 (Berlin Debating Union, Germany)

Champions:

Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] 2005 (University College Cork, Ireland)

Champions:

Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] 2004 (Durham University, England)

Champions:

Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] 2003 (Zagreb University, Croatia)

Champions:

Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] 2002 (Haifa University, Israel)

Champions:

Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] 2001 (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia)

Champions:

Second-Place:

Other Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] 2000 (University of Aberdeen, Scotland)

Champions:

Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] 1999 (Erasmus University, Netherlands)

Champions:

Finalists:

ESL Champions:


[edit] The Council and the Committee

The Europeans tournament of 1999 formed a Council from the countries represented at the tournament and drafted a Constitution to govern the tournament. Unlike Worlds' tiered voting structures, Europeans Council opted for a one member one vote system of governance, electing to choose equality of representation despite the limited exposure of some countries to British Parliamentary debating at that time for the purpose of encouraging their participation. The Council governs the Constitution and Rules of the tournament, as well as deciding on bids to host subsequent tournaments. At least three bids have been contested - in 2001, Haifa University defeated the University of Limerick, in 2005, Berlin Debating Union defeated Koç University, and in 2007, Tallinn University defeated the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.

The Committee is formed of a President (who also chairs Council), a Registrar and regional representation from Central & Eastern Europe, Northern & Western Europe, South-Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the Islands of the North Atlantic and the convener of the current championship and that for the following year. This committee discusses issues which arise during the time between annual Councils, although the distances involved mandate e-mail rather than in person discussions.

The current president is Špela Kunej from the University of Ljubljana.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Universities_Debating_Championship"
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