Asian Universities Debating Championship

The Asian Universities Debating Championship (AUDC) is an annual debating tournament for teams from universities in Asia. [ [http://www.todayonline.com/articles/257921.asp They're Asia's best debaters ] "Today (Singapore newspaper)", 6 June 2008] [ [http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2008/6/1/education/21366167&sec=education In support of champs] "The Star (Malaysia)", 1 June 2008] [ [http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080526-138947/Singapore-university-beats-Ateneo-in-Asian-debate-tourney Singapore university beats Ateneo in Asian debate tourney] "Philippine Daily Inquirer", 26 May 2008]

The championship is one of two major annual regional debating tournaments for Asian universities, the other being the All-Asian Intervarsity Debating Championships. [ [http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2006/08/03/camspotlight.htm Debating: Battle of the minds] "The Daily Star (Bangladesh)", 20 August 2006] The AUDC was first held in 2005 as an alternative tournament to the All-Asian Championships, thus starting a schism in Asian debating. [cite web |url=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AUDC/message/1 |title=Invitation to the First AUDC |accessdate=2007-06-05 |format=html |work= ]

Past Finalists & Hosts

Grand Finalist Team Members and Best Speakers

2008 (International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

* "Winners:" Nanyang Technological University – Madhav Janakiraman, Aditya Vijaya Kumar & Anindya Dutta
* "Runners-up:" Ateneo de Manila University – Roland Glenn Tuazon, Charisse Kristel Borromeo & Angelica Mangahas
* "Best Speaker of the Tournament:" Roland Glenn Tuazon (Ateneo de Manila University)
* "Best Speaker of the Grand Final: " Not Awarded

2007 (Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia)

* "Winners:" Ateneo de Manila University – Sharmila Parmanand, Leloy Claudio & Roland Glenn Tuazon
* "Runners-up:" National University of Singapore – Alexander Yeo, Mark John Cordiner & Vishal Harnal
* "Best Speaker of the Tournament:" Roland Glenn Tuazon (Ateneo de Manila University)
* "Best Speaker in the Grand Final:" Leloy Claudio (Ateneo de Manila University)

2006 (Ateneo de Manila University, Manila, Philippines)

* "Winners:" Ateneo de Manila University A Team – Sharmila Parmanand, Leloy Claudio & Charisse Kristel Borromeo
* "Runners-up:" Ateneo de Manila University B Team – Roland Glenn Tuazon, Miko Biscocho & Mahar Mangahas
* "Best Speaker of the Tournament:" Charisse Kristel Borromeo (Ateneo de Manila University)
* "Best Speaker in the Grand Final:" Miko Biscocho (Ateneo de Manila University)

2005 (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

* "Winners:" Ateneo de Manila University – Jess Raymond Lopez, Sharmila Parmanand & Charisse Kristel Borromeo
* "Runners-up:" Nanyang Technological University – Ankit Agarwala, Ajay & Sushil Sriram
* "Best Speaker of the Tournament:" Jess Raymond Lopez (Ateneo de Manila University)
* "Best Speaker in the Grand Final:" Sushil Sriram (Nanyang Technological University)

Future Championships

* 2009 – to be hosted by East West University, Bangladesh.
* 2010 – to be hosted by De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Philippines.

Asian Universities Debating Union

The Asian Universities Debating Union is the executive body formed to govern the Asian Universities Debating Championship. The institutions who compete in the AUDC form the membership of the Union.

The Union also appoints an Executive Committee, the body authorized to discharge actions on behalf of the Union over the course of the year. The current chair of the committee is Estelle Osorio, from De La Salle University-Manila. Past chairpersons include Rajesh Krishnan (Nanyang Technological University), Shuvam Dutta (Singapore Management University), and Leloy Claudio (Ateneo de Manila University).

Controversy

Institutions who were unhappy about aspects of the organisation of the All-Asian Intervarsity Debating Championships established the Asian Universities Debating Championship in 2005 as an alternative to the All-Asians Championship. Since then, many universities in Asia with strong debating traditions – most notably universities from the Philippines and Singapore, including all except one of the institutions who won the All-Asian championships up to 2004 – have chosen not to participate in the All-Asian Intervarsity Championships and have instead entered teams in the Asian Universities Debating Championship.

While not necessarily intended to be a rival tournament, the last three AUDCs coincided with the schedule of the All-Asian Championship, which made it impracticable for teams to attend both tournaments.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, which was one of the founding institutions of AUDC and entered teams in the AUDC in 2005 and 2006, chose to attend the All-Asians Championship in 2007. Among the universities that won the All-Asians prior to the split, they are the only institution to have participated in the All-Asians since the inception of the AUDC. They attended AUDC again in 2008.

References

External links

* [http://www.audc.info/ AUDC Official Website]
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/audc/ AUDC Official E-group]
* [http://www.iiuaudc.com/ AUDC 2008 website]
* [http://www.sef-itb.org/ AUDC 2007 website]