# Eurasian Schools Debating Championship

The Eurasian Schools Debating Championship (ESDC) is an annual open English-language debating tournament for high school-level teams representing different countries that takes place in Robert College, Istanbul. ESDC is open to international and school teams alike, depending on team cap. ESDC is organized by members of Robert College Debate Society. ESDC is the world's first and only international WSDC debating championship that is organized completely by high-school students.
The first edition was hosted by the Robert College Debate Society in Istanbul with 50 teams from 20 countries. ESDC 2025 will be held between 18-20 January.

## Format

Eurasian Schools Debating Championship debates use a special format known as 'World Schools Style Debating' as most of the teams esteem the tournament as a preparation for WSDC. World Schools Style is a combination of the British Parliamentary and Australian formats. In each debate there are eight speeches delivered by two three-member teams (the Proposition and the Opposition). Each speaker delivers an eight-minute speech; then both teams deliver a "reply speech" lasting four minutes, with the last word being reserved for the Proposition. Between the end of the first and the beginning of the last minute of an eight-minute speech, the opposing party may offer "points of information". The speaker may refuse these, but should take at least one or two points during his or her speech.
Teams in ESDC debate six rounds before "breaking" into partial octo-finals. After first round, teams are paired with each other with power pairing. Team with the same number of wins play against each other. If there are more than one teams on the same point, then teams are paired randomly. Top sixteen teams with highest number of wins and speaker points advance into single elimination octo-finals.

## Principles of the Eurasian Schools Debating Championship

* Openness: ESDC will remain open to all teams of any formation as long as the space allows
* Flexibility: ESDC will seek to govern itself in a non-bureaucratic way
* Innovation: ESDC will seek to try novel ideas in debating

## Registrations

Registrations to ESDC are done through https://www.esdc.info/registration.

## Past championships

| Year | Champions | Members of Winning Team | Winning Team Coach | Runners-up | ESL Champions | Best Overall Speaker | Venue | Convener | Chief Adjudicator |
| 2024 | Greece Green | Artemis Papastavrou, Eleana Dalakoura, Kai Yuet Zhang, Marianna Argeiti | George Fragedakis | Greece Blue | Not Awarded | Kai Yuet Zhang | Istanbul, Turkey | Ece Öğrenci & Ayşegül Kula | Kallina Basli & Ruth Selorme Acolatse |
| 2023 | Aitchison College | | | Nixor A | Not Awarded | Ibrahim Qazi | Istanbul, Turkey | Hena Yaman & Tuna Sağdan | Benjamin Goh & Kallina Basli |
| 2022 | | | | | Not Awarded | Rafay Ahmed | Istanbul, Turkey | Aybala Esmer & Tuna Sağdan | Kallina Basli, Eric Kazadi & Luca Petrović |
| 2021 | WSDC Singapore | | | China Mulan | Not Awarded | Emma Soulanticas | Istanbul, Turkey | Lara Selin Seyahi & Atakan Topaloğlu | Kallina Basli, Tasneem Alias, Sharmila Parmanand & Rok Hafner |
| 2020 | Romania Blue | | | | Not Awarded | | Istanbul, Turkey | Emir Kırdan & Ilgın Sezer | Serban Pitic |
| 2019 | Team Greece Mzansi | | | Team LGS Paragon | Not Awarded | | Istanbul, Turkey | Beliz Aluç & Ege Özgüroğlu | Kallina Basli |
| 2018 | Karachi Grammar School | | | Team Greece Blue | Not Awarded | | Istanbul, Turkey | Ece Korkmaz & Aysu Sarıgül | Kip Oebanda & Kallina Basli |
| 2016 | Team South Africa | | | Team Romania Blue | Team Romania Blue | | Istanbul, Turkey | Ilayda Orhan & Tolga Ferdi Çalışır | Kip Oebanda & Kallina Basli |
| 2015 | Team South Africa | | | CIS - Hong Kong | Romania Dristor | | Istanbul, Turkey | Deniz Keleş & Tayfun Gür | Kip Oebanda |
| 2014 | Team Singapore | | | Gauteng Red | Team Romania | | Istanbul, Turkey | Barışcan Göç & Ege Sözgen | Tom McLennan & Kip Oebanda |
| 2013 | Team South Africa | | | Team Canada | Team Romania | | Istanbul, Turkey | Ayşenur Biçen (Aisenour Bitsen) & Mert Zorlular | Beth James |
| 2012 | Anglo Chinese Junior College | | | Sweden B | Sweden B | | Istanbul, Turkey | Kaan Ülgen & Koret Munguldar | Mehvesh Mumtaz Ahmed & Eirianna Kouri |
| 2011 | Team Singapore | | | Greece C | Greece C | | Istanbul, Turkey | Cem Zorlular | Evanthia Giannakouri & Can Talaz |

## Future championships

The 15th annual Eurasian Schools Debating Championship will be held on 18-20 January 2025 at Robert College.