KUCHING – 96 teams from 31 schools including two schools from Indonesia will compete at the upcoming Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus Inter-School Debating Championship (SSIDC) from 28 to 31 January.
The teams consist of a diverse group of 288 students from residential schools in Betong, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan, private day schools in Kuching, Chinese independent schools, government cluster schools, and single-sex and co-educational schools in Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia
Commenting on the competition, founder of the debating tournament and organiser Christina Yin said the annual event is a platform that offers diversity on the debating floor that is unparalleled.
“Students from all around the country and our neighbouring country Indonesia will come together to debate on current issues in English. In between intense debate rounds, they will mingle and enjoy activities organised by the Swinburne Debaters’ and Green clubs, as well as our sponsors, and make new friends. It is an opportunity to learn and grow in so many ways,” said Yin.
Among the activities taking place in between rounds are the Tree of Life and the Locks for Conservation and Debate, both of which promote environmentally-friendly practises and behaviour organised by the event’s major sponsor Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia Program.
This is in line with the university’s aim to become an environmentally sustainable campus. It has been announced that there will be no plastic straws on campus from 1 February and no plastic bags nor styrofoam from 1 May 2019.
This year’s Chief Adjudicator is once again Swinburne’s own Hugh John Leong, an experienced debater and adjudicator, while the Deputy Chief Adjudicators are Director of Nous Academy Sheikh Muhammad Faizal Shah and Yin.
Swinburne is sponsoring 19 experienced adjudicators from Peninsular Malaysia to provide fair and constructive feedback to the debaters, as ‘oral adjudication’ is part of the debate championship that helps debaters to learn and improve each round they debate. Other independent adjudicators, alumni of the SSIDC itself, or long-time SSIDC adjudicators based in Kuching will also be providing their expertise, and enjoying a return to the debate friendships and camaraderie they have experienced over the years.
The debate themes that have been released to all participants range from Health, Science, Technology and the Environment, and Crime to Family, Schools and Education, and International Relations. Debaters prepare on the topics, but will only find out the motion of each round half an hour before the debate takes place. Assistance is not permitted from teachers nor electronic devices during the preparation time.
For the first two days of the 3.5-day championship, the students will face each other across the debate floor in the preliminary rounds. The knockout rounds will take place on the third day of the championship, culminating in the Grand Finals on the final and fourth day.
Apart from the Champions and Runners-Up, the top best debaters in both junior and senior categories will be honoured, as will the Most Promising and Most Improved teams. The Best Speaker of English by a non-native speaker and the Best Debater in the Final in each category will also be awarded.
In recognition of the importance of debate in English, Swinburne Engagement Scholarships will be awarded to the Senior Champions, Runners-Up and two semi-finalists. The debaters in all those teams will be eligible to enrol in the Swinburne Foundation Studies in the next three years, with scholarships ranging from RM3,000 to RM4,500 each.
SSIDC is organised by the Swinburne Debaters’ Club, funded by the School of Foundation Studies and sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia Program, The Brooke Gallery, the English Language Centre, Data Print Centre and John’s Pie.
For more information about Swinburne, visit www.swinburne.edu.my, Facebook page (@swinburnesarawak), Instagram (@swinburnesarawak), Twitter page (@Swinburne_Swk) or YouTube channel (Swinburne Sarawak).