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Monash hosts debate championship

1 July 2009

Victor Finkel
Victor Finkel

More than 400 students from 55 universities across 12 countries will arrive in Melbourne this week for the 35th Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championship (Australs).

Monash University's Association of Debaters (MAD) is playing a key role in hosting the international students from 2 to 10 July 2009. The event hasn't been held in Australia since 2001.

MAD president Victor Finkel said the Australs were the most prestigious debating tournament in the Asia-Pacific region, and he encouraged students and staff to come along.

"University-level debating is seen as the highest level of organised debating in the world and students will have spent months preparing for the chance to compete against the world's best," Mr Finkel said.

"MAD is proud to be hosting this event and looks forward to some excellent competition."

Preliminary rounds will be held at Monash University's Caulfield campus. The semi-finals will be held in the upper and lower houses of the Victorian Parliament, and the grand final will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The 400 students will compete in eight preliminary rounds, after which time the top 16 teams will be "seeded" and participate in knock-out finals rounds.

"Topics cover all areas of society including controversial and emotive topics like banning abortion, gay marriage, human rights and euthanasia, to more mainstream political and social issues such as the need for carbon emissions trading schemes and global warming," Mr Finkel said

"Monash came second last year so we are keen to take out the top prize this year.

"We're also hoping for some great debate and exchange of ideas and above all, to develop international friendships that will last a lifetime."

Grand-finalists at the previous two World University Debating championships, MAD has won the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships four times in the past eight years and is one of the most successful debating clubs in the world.