Chulalongkorn Students Host 15th EU in Thailand National Inter-Varsity Debating Championship

The Chulalongkorn University Debating Society supervised by the Office of Student Affairs Chulalongkorn University hosted the 15th EU in Thailand National Inter-Varsity Debating Championship on January 27 – 30, 2024, at Chulalongkorn University Secondary Demonstration School. The championship round and award ceremony were held on January 30, 2024, at Room 307, Pinit Prachanat Building, Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, and was presided over by Asst. Prof. Dr. Chaiyaporn Puprasert, Vice President for Student Affairs. Recipients of awards are as follow:

• Chula 1 and Chula 3 reached the University Semifinalists round. For Chula 1 consisted of Miss Torpad Payungtham, Mr. Aaron Luke Reyes Nuqui, and Mr. Bunyapiwat Somboonsap. Moreover, Chula 3 consisted of Mr. Jirayu Leesuwattanakul, Miss Natamon Umbhindhu, and Miss Phornwarat Komolrojanaphorn.
• Chula 2 was the runner-up in the Novice University Grand Finalists round. The team consisted of Miss Thiya Rungruang, Mr. Apichak Tantirassami, and Miss Meenwadee Wassasiri.
• Miss Natamon Umbhindhu placed 8^th for Best Reply Speaker.
• Mr. Jirayu Leesuwattanakul placed 9^th for Best University Speaker.
• Mr. Aaron Luke Reyes Nuqui placed 6^th for Best University Speaker.
• Miss Phornwarat Komolrojanaphorn placed 2^nd for Best University Speaker.
• Miss Phornwarat Komolrojanaphorn placed 9^th for Overall Best Speaker.
• Miss Pantari Rattanasampan placed 7^th for Best Adjudicator.

The 15th EU in Thailand National Inter-Varsity Debating Championship was organized with Mr. Chanakan Wittayasakpan, graduate student at Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of Arts, Mr. Chayathorn Sapchawaroj, graduate student at the Faculty of Economics, and Miss Nattaya Jaruwekin, graduate of Chulalongkorn Business School, as the leaders of the project. The competition aims to promote English debate among Chulalongkorn students and students all over Thailand, to allow those interested to compete, to exchange knowledge and experience, and to bolster Chulalongkorn University’s reputation and role in the national debate circle.

The English debate competition is held in 4 categories, namely University, Novice University, High School, and Novice High School, as well as a competition for the adjudicators. 52 teams, comprising 156 debaters and 60 judges, participated in this year’s competition. The themes for the debate involve political, economic, and social issues related to the European Union, e.g., media presentation about refugees, international trade, and the power of the European Union on the global stage. The topics are not revealed to the debaters in advance. In each round, the debaters have 30 minutes to prepare once the topic is announced.  

As head of the event, Chanakan Wittayasakpan said that apart from the Chulalongkorn students who competed as debaters and judges, there are 25 other students working as coordinators. What students gained from organizing this English debate competition is awareness of social, economic, environmental, and ethical issues around the world and problem-solving skills through debates. They also developed their English communication skills, logical persuasive speech, and teamwork, as well as built networks and positive relationships with participants from educational institutions around the country. The experience gained from organizing the event, including communication and leadership, can be applied to their future endeavors.

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