Summary of the Ecuador National Debate Tournament 2024

IAPSS Ecuador, July 27-28, 2024

Universidad Hemisferios, Quito, Ecuador

Between July 27th and 28th 2024, IAPSS Ecuador co-organised the Ecuador 2024 National Debate Tournament, alongside Universidad Hemisferios, the Debate School Association, the Guambras en Acción Foundation and the Association of Students of Political Science and International Relations of the Universidad de las Américas (UDLA).

The main objective of this event was to promote critical thinking and argumentation skills among students of International Relations and other related disciplines. The tournament brought together several debating clubs from different institutions, amassing a total participation of approximately 60 students from the city of Quito and neighboring provinces. The participants demonstrated their oratory and rhetorical skills by debating current issues such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Sustainability and Good Governance, improving their understanding of the world, and learning to respect different points of view. A highlight of the Ecuador 2024 National Debate Tournament was the participation of professors from various universities as judges, who played a fundamental role in the evaluation of the debaters. The wide reception of the Tournament reflected the active participation and enthusiasm of the students and of the various attendees, who had the opportunity to observe the debate rounds.

As a result of good preparation, the 7 winning debaters were awarded scholarships for room and board for the International Debate Tournament in Cusco, Peru 2024, providing them with an invaluable opportunity to continue developing their skills on an international stage.

The Ecuador 2024 National Debate Tournament was, without a doubt, a great success and an important milestone in the promotion of education and debate in Ecuador.