What is WUDC?
The WUDC is the world’s biggest debating tournament held annually for students representing universities all over the world. The first tournament was held in January 1981 at the University of Glasgow, with 43 teams from 7 countries. The tournament has remarkably expanded ever since, now attracting over 400 teams from 80 countries and 380 universities.
At the WUDC, students from the world's top universities gather to compete against each other. Participants come from prestigious institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Stanford, Monash, and Sydney. Given the fierce competition among distinguished domestic and international participants, winning the WUDC is inarguably the highest achievement a debater can obtain. The tournament provides an opportunity for Korean university students to develop critical thinking and logical communication skills through debate.
Korea WUDC 2021 Opening Ceremony
In the 2021 World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC), Debate Korea met with participants from around the world at KINTEX, the largest convention center in South Korea. Held during the COVID-19 pandemic under strict disinfection and quarantine guidelines, the WUDC was successfully conducted in an online/offline hybrid format. Over 200 speakers, on-site participants, and more than 2,000 online participants were a part of the journey.
Debate Day was designed as a gathering where various debating organizations, associations, and institutions scattered throughout South Korea could network, discuss the present and future of Korea’s debate culture, and plan for the future. Korean and international participants of the WUDC interacted online and offline, sharing stories and insights about the impact of debating on their personal growth. Furthermore, it promoted the debating culture’s continued expansion, having faced difficulties with COVID-19 that disrupted global communication and exchange.
In addition, we invited previous debaters with successful professional careers from various fields to attract non-debating community members in Korea and strengthen the bond among debaters. This career talk allowed everyone to realize that debating helps not only logical and intellectual growth but also employment and networking. Besides the main event in the lecture hall, additional spaces were provided for career counseling and Q&As between speakers and participants, allowing for more in-depth communication.
Debate Korea is committed to becoming the center of South Korean debating, focusing on debate education, hosting competitions, spreading debate culture, expanding globally, and serving as a hub for Asian communication culture. Debate Day marked a new starting point for the debate community in South Korea and worldwide, being the catalyst for revitalization after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judge Training Workshop
Module 1:
Tracking a Debate
In this module, we discuss the most fundamental skill of
being a good judge:
tracking or note-taking.
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Module 2:
Top Half Comparisons
In this module, we discuss how to compare directly between teams, using a top half clash to
illustrate these principles.
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Module 3:
Motions
In this module, we go through the most common types of
debate motions.
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