Harvard Dubai Invitational
The Gulf Debate League is proud to partner with the Harvard Debate Union to bring the United States’ most prestigious college-hosted debate competition to Dubai. The Harvard Dubai Invitational will offer of top-class competition with expert convenors and excellent adjudication. All debaters will receive certificates verifying their participation and successful competitors will receive trophies and invitations to attend the flagship Harvard tournament in the United States this February.
Date
9-10 November
time
9:00 am to 5:00 pm GST
ages
13-18 (Senior)
10-12 (Junior)
deadline
November 2
price
$ 100
location
Online
Participation Guarantees
Guaranteed Judged Rounds
All teams receive a minimum of five Judged Rounds with Feedback
Preparation and Event Guides
Free preparation and event guides provided before competition
Participation Certificates & Awards
Certificates of participation and awards provided
Harvard Invitational Qualification
Top Competitors Qualify for the Harvard Invitational in the USA
Senior Debate
Senior Division students aged 13-18 will compete in the Public Forum Debate format. Public Forum, or PF, is the most popular event in the United States. Students join forces with a partner and engage in 2v2 debates over a preset topic. Unlike World Schools or British Parliamentary, this topic is the same for all rounds of the tournament and is provided to competitors ahead of time. This meant to encourage the use of research, sources, and evidence to ensure students ground argumentation in fact and learn more about the world.
Junior Debate
Junior Division students aged 10 to 12 will compete in Single Person British Parliamentary Debate. Inspired by debates in the British House of Commons and House of Lords, this format encourages students to craft well-reasoned and persuasive arguments on a variety of topics. Unlike PF, the topic, or “motion”, changes every round. Students receive fifteen minutes to prepare and then give a three-minute speech in favor of the side they are placed on. Unlike other team debate events, wins are not given to a particular side. Instead, individual students score points by being ranked among the top four speakers in the round.
Tournament Schedule
Saturday November 9th:
8:30 – Check-In Opens
9:00 – Opening Ceremony
9:30 – Round 1
11:30 – Lunch
12:00 – Round 2
2:30 – Round 3
4:30 – Round 4
Sunday November 10th:
8:30 – Check-In Opens
9:00 – Round 5
11:30 – Break Ceremony and Lunch
12:00 – Elimination Round 1
1:30 – Elimination Round 2
3:00 – Elimination Round 3
4:30 – Elimination Round 4
Tournament Topic
The 2024 Harvard Dubai Tournament will use the following Topic:
Resolved: The benefits of generative artificial intelligence in education outweigh the harms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I Don’t Have a Partner?
Any student without a partner is welcome to sign-up and be placed with a partner from another school. To be placed with a partner, please fill out the form below.
How Much Research do I Need to Prepare?
The topic is announced ahead of time to encourage debaters to learn about the real world and master the core facts of the debate, not to turn the tournament into a war of research. Students should plan to come to the tournament with cases for both sides and basic sources. For teams familiar with the World Schools Format, treat Public Forum like a normal prepared round.
How Do I Learn Public Forum?
On first glance, Public Forum might seem difficult and imposing. However, the format is actually quite simple and easy to learn. To prepare for the tournament, read our event guide or join a free two-hour walkthrough with one of our coaches.