NUEDC 2012: The Original Top 32 Teams

The full tabulation report of the 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship is out. The team tab showed the real top 32 teams were different than the ones that debated in the main knockouts. Some who managed to get into the top 32 did not break, giving chance to lower teams to slip into the octofinals.

Serang-based Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa (Rezza Brammadita & Mita Puspitasari), which achievements had not caught much attention before and failed to pass the regionals last year, performed very well last week and reached as high as #9, right beneath the favourite 8 teams. However, they were disqualified because one of the debaters, Mita Puspitasari, was a substitute. Ironically, on the speaker tab, her scores were attributed to Nur Latifah, the debater she replaced, who was in Jakarta for a different kind of debate while the Bali NUEDC was underway. The government-run NUEDC bans subtitution. This rule also made strong favourites Universitas Bakrie miss the nationals.

Universitas Paramadina (Siti Octrina Malikah & Niken Anjar Wulan), a school which had never competed in NUEDC before, proved newcomers could excel in NUEDC by collecting enough points to reach #18. As first-timers, Paramadina naturally signed up as novice but when the pair heard teams that they defeated in the preliminaries broke, they believed they had the right to compete in the main knockouts. Their complaints and request to debate in the higher class landed on deaf ears as organisers denied them automatic entrance. Last year, novice teams that were eligible to break into the main knockouts could choose between the two categories. In major international tournaments with multiple categories, any team from the lower category that can break into the open knockouts would be given a chance to do so. In NUEDC 2012, organisers condemned novices to the lower class without opportunity to graduate even if they had passed the cut. A member of the adjudication core said it was the responsibility of teams to clearly state which category they wish to enter. Unlike international major tournaments, automatic graduation does not apply in NUEDC.

Eventual novice champions Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, STMIK Mikroskil, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional, Universitas Muhammadiyah Gresik, Politeknik Negeri Ujung Pandang and Universitas Internasional Batam were also missing in the main knockouts although they got into the top 32 teams. All of them registered as novices and intended to only debate in the lower category, which gave easier access to prizes, including funding for the next World Universities Debating Championship.

The original top 32 after 7 preliminary rounds in NUEDC 2012 are as follows:
1. Universitas Gadjah Mada (Region 5)
2. Universitas Parahyangan (Region 4)
3. Universitas Indonesia (Region 3)
4. Universitas Diponegoro (Region 6)
5. Universitas Bina Nusantara (Region 3)
6. Institut Teknologi Bandung (Region 4)
7. Universitas Brawijaya (Region 7)
8. Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta (Region 3)
9. Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa (Region 3)
10. Universitas Negeri Malang (Region 7)
11. Universitas Hasanuddin (Region 9)
12. Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta (Region 5)
13. Universitas Negeri Jakarta (Region 3)
14. Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (Region 6)
15. Politeknik Negeri Malang (Region 7)
16. Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (Region 5)
17. Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (Region 6)
18. Universitas Paramadina (Region 3)
19. Universitas Padjadjaran (Region 4)
20. Universitas Udayana (Region 8)
21. Universitas Sebelas Maret (Region 6)
22. STMIK Mikroskil (Region 1)
23. Universitas Pembangunan Nasional (Region 5)
24. Universitas Muhammadiyah Gresik (Region 7)
25. Institut Pertanian Bogor (Region 3)
26. Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya (Region 2)
27. Politeknik Negeri Ujung Pandang (Region 9)
28. Universitas Lampung (Region 2)
29. Universitas Nusa Cendana (Region 8)
30. Politeknik LP3I Medan (Region 1)
31. Universitas Negeri Semarang (Region 6)
32. Universitas Internasional Batam (Region 10)

The list also shows all participants from Region 3 (Greater Jakarta) were strong enough to enter the top 32 while no team from Region 11 (Kalimantan) and Region 12 (Eastern Indonesia) managed to get into that zone. Without training changes in those regions, the pattern might continue next year.    

Click here for the full tab.

NUEDC 2012: Key Results (Updated)

Main Category

Champions: #5 Binus University (Rosmiyana & Sabarudin Adinugroho)
Finalists (GF rank order): #8 Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta (Cindy Fransisca & Davin Sutanto), #6 Institut Teknologi Bandung (Kirana Kania & Jane Revevalin), #2 Universitas Parahyangan (Dwita Aryani & Josefhine Chitra)
Best Speaker: Riza Aryani (Universitas Indonesia)

Top 10 Speakers

1. Riza Aryani (Universitas Indonesia)

2. Dwita Aryani (Universitas Parahyangan)

3. Edward Sutanto (Universitas Diponegoro)

4. Kirana Kania (Institut Teknologi Bandung)

4. Rosmiyana (Binus University)

6. Sabarudin Adinugroho (Binus University)

7. Cindy Fransisca (Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta)

7. Thoriq Murtadho (Universitas Gadjah Mada)

9. Erwina Salsabila (Universitas Gadjah Mada)

10. Jane Revevalin (Institut Teknologi Bandung)
10. Dimas Hokka (Universitas Indonesia)

Novice Category

Champions: #1 Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (Retno Rahma Safitri & Niki Septi Pawestri)
Finalists (GF rank order): #10 Politeknik Tonggak Equator (Jeffrey Hartanto & Sisca), #6 Politeknik Negeri Ujung Pandang (Furqon Kokoh & Muhammad Rifai), #9 STBA Teknokrat (Danang & Septian Trisilo)
Best Speaker: Retno Rahma Safitri (Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta)

Top 10 Speakers (open rank on the right) 
1. Retno Rahma Safitri (Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta) -- #20
2. Egi Ryan Aldino (Universitas Negeri Jakarta) -- #23
3. Alfin Malelak (Universitas Nusa Cendana) -- #26
4. Siti Octrina Malikah (Universitas Paramadina) -- #32
5. Deasy Cahyaningsih (Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana) -- #36
5. Framita Rahman (Universitas Hasanuddin) -- #36
7. Niki Septi Pawestri (Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta) -- #39
7. Niken Anjar Wulan (Universitas Paramadina) -- #39
9. Furqon Kokoh (Politeknik Negeri Ujung Pandang) -- #43
9. Made Utari Rimayanti (Universitas Udayana) -- #43

NUEDC 2012: UNY Top Novice Group, Win Berlin Ticket

#1Novice Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (Retno Rahma Safitri & Niki Septi Pawestri) won the novice category in the 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship, giving them the right for state funding to go to the World Universities Debating Championship in Berlin. In the final, they defeated non-Java challengers #6Novice Politeknik Ujung Pandang (Furqon Kokoh & Muhammad Rifai)\, #9Novice STBA Teknokrat (Danang & Septian Trisilo) and #10Novice Politeknik Tonggak Equator (Jeffrey Hartanto & Sisca).

Retno Rahma Safitri also became the best novice speaker in NUEDC 2012. She was a member of the UNY team that won the best novice team award in the 2012 Indonesian Varsities English Debate, the national 3-on-3 debating tournament, making her the first person to combine the novice titles of two major competitions in a single year. Kudos also should be given to Jane Revevalin from Institut Teknologi Bandung, who is actually in her first year of debating, for reaching the final of the main category and getting into the overall top 10 speakers. She was not eligible to compete in the NUEDC novice races because she had won a nationwide tournament last April. In NUEDC, the novice category is performance-based and designed exclusively for those who have failed to break in open contest.

The novice category in Indonesia is ill-defined and the rules differ from competition to competition. In NUEDC 2012, novice team Universitas Paramadina (Niken Anjar & Siti Octrina Malikah) wanted to join the main knockouts when the debaters learned they had won enough points to break into the top 32 safely. Unfortunately, the organisers blocked them from competing in the higher category. In NUEDC 2011, novice teams that could break into the main elimination stage were given a choice to stay in the lower category and go for the tougher challenge. Some remained to race for the WUDC ticket but some also went for the chance to debate with better teams. The rule change failed to be communicated. In international competitions like WUDC or Australs, participants from the lower category (ESL/EFL) can automatically compete in the main knockout if they can collect sufficient points for that.  

NUEDC 2012: National Title Stays in the Binus Family



NUEDC 2012 Champions
(Rosmiyana &
Sabarudin Adinugroho)

Last year it was Binus International who won the National Universities English Debating Championship. This year Binus University matched that feat and made sure the title stays in the family. #5 Binus (Rosmiyana & Sabarudin Adinugroho) also won the championship from the same Closing Opposition role. They defeated #2 Universitas Parahyangan (Dwita Aryani & Josefhine Chitra), #6 Institut Teknologi Bandung (Kirana Kania & Jane Revevalin) and #8 Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta (Cindy Fransisca & Davin Susanto) in a grand final debate that had a motion on giving student loans to Indonesians.

Rosmi and Sabar were also champions of their Jakarta regionals where they had eliminated the same Atma Jaya team in the semifinal level. Both of them have around three years of debating under their belt, including participations in competitions abroad. As a pair, they won the 2010 HOT Magazine Debate competition, a small competition that paved their way for future success, including breaking first in this year's ALSA Unpad E-Challenge. Rosmi was the best speaker in that competition. Sabar will be the Chief Adjudicator of the 2012 Java Overland Varsities English Debate next month. 

Binus International did not participate in NUEDC this year. The state-run competition only allows one representative from the Binus family. As the result, societies in Binus International (BIPEDS) and the regular Binus University (BNEC) take turns to compete in Indonesia's largest debate competition. The three best performers in the main category are eligible for state funding to go to the World Universities Debating Championship. Besides Binus, runner-ups ITB and Atma Jaya will go to Berlin for free. For BNEC, this is the first major victory since they won the Java Overland Varsities English Debate back in 2003.

The best speaker of the championship was Riza Aryani from #3 Universitas Indonesia who unfortunately got eliminated in the semifinals. Champions Rosmi and Sabar placed 4th and 6th respectively on the speaker tab. ITB's Jane Revevalin, a first-year debater, got into the overall top 10 speaker list, showing the competition is open for anyone with hard work and skills, regardless of age or years going in and out of tournaments. Jane was not considered as novice because she had won a nationwide tournament last April.

NUEDC 2012: Bandung v Jakarta in Final

Bandung and Jakarta contribute two teams each to the grand final of the 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship. #2 Universitas Parahyangan (Dwita Aryani & Josefhine Chitra) and cross-city rival #6 Institut Teknologi Bandung (Kirana Kania & Jane Revevalin) will be in the last debate along with the capital city's #5 Binus University (Rosmiyana & Sabarudin Adinugroho) and #8 Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta (Cindy Fransisca & Davin Susanto). Debating powerhouses Universitas Indonesia and Universitas Gadjah Mada fell in the semifinals, which had the motion "This House would abandon the concept of gender".

Binus is the reigning champion although last year's winners come from a different debating society within the educational institution. The current pair topped the Jakarta qualifiers just like Unpar did in the West Java region. ITB's Jane Revevalin is the only fresher debater among the finalists but she has won a nationwide tournament earlier this year. Atma Jaya's Cindy Fransisca is on very good form in 2012. She became best speaker and finalist in IPSDC a few weeks ago, topped the team tab in AEO last February and defeated teams from Asian giants National University of Singapore a number of times in the two tournaments. The final at Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Bali's convention hall will be an exciting end for Indonesia's largest debating competition.  

NUEDC 2012: Novice Finalists Come From 4 Islands

The teams that managed to progress into the novice grandfinal of the 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship hail from different islands. Java's #1 Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta lead the pack, #6 Politeknik Ujung Pandang are Sulawesi's last standing team, reigning novice champion #9 STBA Teknokrat come from Sumatra and Kalimantan has a representative through #10 Politeknik Tonggak Equator. They will fight tomorrow to get the bonus ticket -- a chance to go to the World Universities Debating Championships in Berlin.

NUEDC 2012: All Java in Main Semifinals, Undip Out

All of the 8 teams that will fight in the main semifinals of the 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship come from the country's main island of Java. However, one of them did not place among the top 8 on the prelim tab. #12 Universitas Negeri Jakarta pulled an upset in the quarterfinals, eliminating #4 Universitas Diponegoro - the champions of JOVED 2011. The main semifinals and championship debate will take place tomorrow at Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Bali. Here are the match ups.

#1 Universitas Gadjah Mada v #5 Binus University v #8 Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta v #12 Universitas Negeri Jakarta
#2 Universitas Parahyangan v #3 Universitas Indonesia v #6 Institut Teknologi Bandung v #7 Universitas Brawijaya

NUEDC 2012: Knockout Bracket

        

1. UGM
16. Unpad	1. UGM
17. Udayana	17. Udayana
32. Jambi		1. UGM
8. Atma Jaya Jkt		8. Atma Jaya Jkt
9. UN Malang	8. Atma Jaya Jkt
24. UN Semarang	9. UN Malang
25. IT&B			8. Atma Jaya Jkt
4. Undip			5. Binus
13. UKSW	4. Undip
20. PolSri	29. UMM
29. UMM		5. Binus
5. Binus		12. UN Jakarta
12. UN Jakarta	5. Binus
21. Unila	12. UN Jakarta
28. IM Telkom				5. Binus University
2.  Unpar				(Rosmi & Sabar)
15. Unsoed	2. Unpar
18. UNS	18. UNS
31. Mataram		2. Unpar
7. Brawijaya		7. Brawijaya
10. Unhas	7. Brawijaya
23. LP3I	23. LP3I
26. Palangkaraya			2. Unpar
3. UI			6. ITB
14. Polinema	3. UI
19. IPB	14. Polinema
30. UII		3. UI
6. ITB		6. ITB
11. UAJY	6. ITB
22. Nusa Cendana	11. UAJY
27. UPI

NUEDC 2012: Main and Novice Breaking Teams

Universitas Gadjah Mada (Erwina Salsabila & Thoriq Murtadho) broke first into the knockouts of the 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship. The top 8 breaking teams  matched the pre-tournament prediction (click here for story) as squads with previous winning experiences stood prominent above the rest. Universitas Hasanuddin (M. Akbar Walenna & Framita Rahman) became the highest ranked non-Java team at #10 and the only one in the top 16. The main elimination stage took in 32 teams while 16 others, led by Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (Niki Septi Pawestri & Retno Rahma Safitri), progressed to the novice knockouts.

Main Break

1. Universitas Gadjah Mada
2. Universitas Parahyangan
3. Universitas Indonesia
4. Universitas Diponegoro
5. Binus University
6. Institut Teknologi Bandung
7. Universitas Brawijaya
8. Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta
9. Universitas Negeri Malang
10. Universitas Hasanuddin
11. Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta
12. Universitas Negeri Jakarta
13. Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana
14. Politeknik Negeri Malang
15. Universitas Jenderal Soedirman
16. Universitas Padjadjaran
17. Universitas Udayana
18. Universitas Negeri Sebelas Maret
19. Institut Pertanian Bogor
20. Politeknik Sriwijaya
21. Universitas Lampung
22. Universitas Nusa Cendana
23. Politeknik LP3I Medan
24. Universitas Negeri Semarang
25. STIE IT&B
26. Universitas Palangkaraya
27. Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
28. Institut Manajemen Telkom
29. Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang
30. Universitas Islam Indonesia
31. Universitas Mataram
32. Universitas Jambi

Novice Break

1. Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
2. Universitas Paramadina
3. STMIK Mikroskil
4. Universitas Pembangunan Nasional
5. Universitas Muhammadiyah Gresik
6. Politeknik Negeri Ujung Pandang
7. Universitas Internasional Batam
8. Universitas Syiah Kuala
9. STBA Teknokrat
10. Politeknik Tonggak Equator
11. Universitas Mahasaraswati
12. STIKES Banjarmasin
13. STIKES Bali
14. Politeknik Batam
15. Universitas Pattimura
16. Universitas Mulawarman

NUEDC 2012: No Perfect Team Left Before Last Prelim

The last team standing with a perfect score in the 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship, Universitas Atma Jaya (Cindy Fransisca & Davin Susanto), fell in their fifth preliminary debate, which was won by Universitas Indonesia (Dimas Hokka & Riza Aryani). Heading to the seventh and last mandatory round, all teams have bested each other, including those at the top end of the tab. The second day of preliminaries ended yesterday with a silent round 6. Others who have entered the top room besides the two above include Institut Teknologi Bandung (Jane Revevalin & Kirana Kania), Universitas Parahyangan (Dwita Aryani & Josefhine Chitra) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (Erwina Salsabila & Thoriq Murtadho). Round 7 will take place Monday morning while the knockouts, main and novice, are scheduled to run right after.

NUEDC 2012: Undefeated Atma Lead Half Way in Prelims

Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta (Cindy Fransisca & Davin Susanto) are leading in the 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship with a perfect score of 12 VPs after coming first in the 4 preliminary rounds that have taken place. There are still 3 debates to go for all participants before the break tomorrow. The pair failed to reach their regional final in May but they bounced back, improved and topped the team tab in the International Public Speaking and Debate Competition in early June, beating Asian powerhouse National University of Singapore more than once throughout the tournament before reaching its grand final.

Motions so far:
R1. THBT countries suffering from severe economic crisis should not be allowed to participate in international sporting events
R2. THW compel tobacco companies to fund the rehabilitation cost for smokers wishing to quit
R3. THBT public schools should teach atheism
R4. THBT the world should stop the development of artificial intelligence

NUEDC 2012: The Games Begin Today Without Bakrie

Around 300 varsity debaters and adjudicators have descended on the tourist island of Bali for Indonesia's largest debating competition, except the team from Universitas Bakrie who are among the favourites to win. The 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship will start today and crown a winner on June 26. Ninety-six teams from 12 regions are eligible to participate but the sudden schedule announcement has made Bakrie, the reigning national 3-on-3 champions, unable to come. A team member who helped secure the ticket to the national round in the regional selection has a prior academic commitment and NUEDC rules do not allow substitutions.

NUEDC 2012 will have 7 mandatory preliminary rounds. Half of the participants will proceed to the knockouts - 32 teams for the main category and 16 for the separate novice break. Last year, several novice teams that were part of the original top 32 chose to go for the weaker break for the sake of more accesible prizes. The result was lower ranking teams entered the main break, revealing a gap of quality between them and the experienced squads.


NUEDC uses the four-pairs-in-a-match British Parliamentary format, matching the World Universities Debating Championship. The champions will be funded to go the closest WUDC - this time in Berlin. Each university is only allowed to send one team, regardless of the depth in a school's debating squad.


There are a few teams with debaters who have won the best team or speaker award in a national-scale tournament, reached the finals of at least one of them or become the EFL winners of an international debating event in the past two years. The teams that may stand out are (alphabetical order):

• Binus University - Rosmiyana (ALSA Unpad 2012 best speaker) & Sabarudin Adinugroho (BIND 2011 finalist) 
• Institut Teknologi Bandung - Kirana Kania (IVED 2010 champion) & Jane Revevalin (PNDC 2012 champion)
• Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta - Cindy Fransisca (IPSDC 2012 best speaker + finalist) & Davin Susanto (IPSDC 2012 finalist)
• Universitas Brawijaya - Dungga Nur Prayogo (IDC Ma Chung 2012 champion) & Yeremia Azaria
• Universitas Diponegoro - Edward Sutanto (JOVED 2011 champion) & Rizky Akita (JOVED 2011 champion)
• Universitas Gadjah Mada - Erwina Salsabila (IHL 2012 champion) & Thoriq Murtadho (ALSA UI 2012 Finalist)
• Universitas Indonesia - Dimas Hokka (Australasians EFL 2011 champion/ Bawor 2011 champion) & Riza Aryani (Australasians EFL 2011 champion/IVED 2010 best speaker)
• Universitas Parahyangan - Dwita Aryani (ALSA Unpad 2011 best speaker) & Josefhine Chitra

Indeed, dark horses may emerge from other schools as many universities are fielding up-and-coming debaters who can pull upsets amid intense competition. The actual debates start tomorrow at the nursing school Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Bali. 

Hasanuddin BP Goes to the Host Again

Makassar's Universitas Hasanuddin again proved to be the kings of Eastern Indonesia for varsity debating after winning the region's main BP tournament for the second time in as many years it has been held. Joved Unhas B (Andi Aumi & Ayu Rachman) yesterday defeated fellow members of HEDS, cross-city rivals Politeknik Ujung Pandang A and up-and-coming Universitas Haluoleo B from Kendari. Hasanuddin BP is the first debating tournament in less developed Eastern Indonesia using the British Parliamentary format. In its second edition this week, the competition attracted debaters from all over Sulawesi island and a school from the easternmost province of Papua.

IPSDC 2012: Key Results

Here are the results from the 2012 International Public Speaking and Debate Competition at the Jakarta-based London School of Public Relations, which ended earlier this month.

Champions: Institut Teknologi Bandung A (Rifan Ibnu Rahman & Alris Alfharisi)
Finalists: National University of Singapore A (Andre Kua & Bryan Chan), Universitas Indonesia A (Dennys Kapa & Elghafiky Bimardhika), Universitas Atma Jaya C (Cindy Fransisca & Davin Susanto)
Best Speaker: Cindy Fransisca (Universitas Atma Jaya C)

Top Speakers
1. Cindy Fransisca (Universitas Atma Jaya C)
1. Andre Kua (National University of Singapore A)
1. Bryan Chan (National University of Singapore A)
1. Dennys Kapa (Universitas Indonesia A)
5. Rifan Ibnu Rahman (Institut Teknologi Bandung A)
6. Elghafiky Bimardhika (Universitas Indonesia A)
7. Alris Alfharisi (Institut Teknologi Bandung A)
8. Davin Susanto (Universitas Atma Jaya C)
8. Rosmiyana (Binus University A)
10. Sabarudin Adinugroho (Binus University A)
10. Darwin Tanzil (Universitas Atma Jaya A)

Four speakers collected the same highest score but the title only went to Cindy Fransisca from Universitas Atma Jaya whose team topped the tab after the preliminary stage.  

NUEDC 2012: Date, Venue and Top Judges Confirmed

After weeks of informal talks speculating the precise date and venue for the 2012 National Universities English Debating Championship, the Ministry of Education finally confirmed the tournament will take place from June 22 to 27 at STIKES Bali in Denpasar. That means there will only be eight days left for 96 teams to prepare for the competition that pulls in debaters from Aceh to Papua.

The lead judges have also been selected, all of them are well-known debaters from Java-based state universities. The line up of the adjudication core is as follows:

STIKES Bali Convention Hall
Venue for NUEDC 2012 Finals

Chief Adjudicator:
Eldhianto Jusuf (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
IVED 2011, JOVED 2010 Champion - IVED 2012, JOVED 2011 CA

Deputy Chief Adjudicators:
Luthfi Abdurrahman (Institut Teknologi Bandung)
ALSA UI 2010, NUEDC 2009 Champion - NUEDC 2011, IVED 2009 CA
Roderick Sibarani (Universitas Indonesia)
Jakarta Mini 2012, ALSA UI 2011 Champion
Mashita Kamilia (Universitas Diponegoro)
ALSA UI 2011, JOVED 2010 DCA

Chennai Wins Race to Host WUDC 2014

The Indian city of Chennai will be the host of the 2014 World Universities Debating Championships after receiving 55 votes, 19 more than rival Bangkok, in a landmark online voting process.  The main organiser is Chennai-based Rajalakhsmi Engineering College while Rashtriya Vidyalaya Engineering College and the National Law School of India University, both from nearby Bangalore, will officially support the undertaking. Chulalongkorn University was the sole school behind the Bangkok bid.

Indonesia, which holds 4 votes due to its Status A, chose Chennai and became the only Asian nation behind the winning bid outside home country India and its neighbour Pakistan. Other Asian countries, including the sub-continent's Bangladesh, went for Bangkok. Non-Asians overwhelmingly picked Chennai, which promises accommodation in a 7-star hotel and 5 parties with free flowing alcohol. Ireland is the only non-Asian country that backed Chulalongkorn's bid. Click here for the voting breakdown.

It was the first time that a WUDC host was decided via an online voting. No bid was floored at the 2012 Worlds in Manila, triggering a scramble to find institutions that dare to take on the challenge of organising a tournament that has grown into a increasingly demanding and lavish event in recent years. The two bidding parties, coincidentally all from developing Asian countries, collaborated with award-winning debaters from the first world to table excellent proposals to keep the most prestigious debating tournament on the planet alive. WUDC 2013, which will be held in Berlin, was decided in WUDC 2011 Botswana.    


 




Tournament
EUR350/pax rego, 360 teams (may rise to 400), institution cap at 3 teams and 2 judges
Adjudication
CA: Harish Natarajan (University of Cambridge/UK/Finalist EUDC 2009, 2010) and Michael Baer (Stanford University/US/Finalist WUDC 2012)
DCA: Ely Zosa (Ateneo De Manila University/PH/Finalist WUPID 2008, 2009), 3 more will be appointed, including at least one representing the ESL/EFL group.

Hospitality

7-star ITC Grand Chola, overflowing free alcohol, all dietary requirements will be available

Travel

Visa-on-arrival for Indonesians. Organizers promise help. Quickest flight from Jakarta takes 7 hours using Singapore Airlines.