AUCA Debate Team won Debate Tournament

March 28, 2013

The American University of Central Asia (AUCA) team won the "Debates of the Open Society" television project on the First Public TV Channel of Kyrgyzstan. The project was organised by IDEA Cental Asia together with the Soros Foundation - Kyrgyzstan’s Youth Program, in partnership with the Public Television Radio Corporation of Kyrgyzstan.

The show started on 15 September 2012 and was aired fortnightly on Saturdays in prime-time ensuring an audience of several thousand viewers. The six month-long project saw leading debate students from eight universities in Bishkek discuss twelve relevant topics, starting with the flaws of the current migration policy of CIS countries to solutions for terrorism-related issues in the region.

The format of the debates was unique. "Debates of the Open Society" is the closest television adaptation of the British Parliamentary debating format. The project’s authors developed a simplified concept of the format which helped regular viewers better understand the debates.

According to IDEA Central Asia’s coordinator Altynai Djumasheva, “Debates of the Open Society” made a significant contribution to debating in the region.

"First, we were able to explain what debating is to the wider Kyrgyz television audience. Second, we promoted debating, exposing Kyrgyz youth to a positive image of it. As a result, huge numbers of students that are now willing to start debating, improve their speaking skills and develop their critical thinking call our office every day,” says Djumasheva.

The project aimed to spread and encourage the implementation of democratic principles, while finding solutions for urgent problems that the Central Asian region faces. The project show is planned to restart in September.  

article and photo were taken from idebate.org

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