CIE Debate Union Competes at International Parliamentary Debate Tournament in Tokyo

Ten students from the CIE Debate Union recently participated at an international parliamentary debate tournament in Tokyo, Japan. The 25th annual International Christian University Tournament (ICUT) was held from 24-26 March at the International Christian University. The tournament was an international competition drawing teams from across Japan, mainland China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, and Thailand. Students had the opportunity to refine their public speaking and debating skills by discussing a wide range of topics such as: international relations, feminism, immigration, politics, social networking, and the media.

The tournament was a big step forward for the CIE Debate Union. According to the Debate Trainer of CIE, Dr. Lucas Scripter, this was the largest team that CIE has brought to any debate tournament to date. As he noted, “it reflects the growth experienced by the CIE Debate Union.” Bringing a large squad to an international tournament has advantages. SOO Chun Kwan Animus (Psychology, Year 2) commented that it enabled students to “reflect and discuss together and also to encourage each other.”

Participation in ICUT was a valuable experience for students. WAN Ming Yuk Amelia (Applied Social Service, Year 1) said that it was “a chance to meet debaters from all around Asia.” TANG Chui Ting Alison (Creative Communication, Year 1) noted that the tournament revealed the importance of combing both a broad base of knowledge with strong public speaking skills. Students left the tournament feeling encouraged. As CHING Tsz Lok Stephen (Journalism, Year 2) remarked, ICUT proved that putting in effort pays off.