page_title: Harvard College Debating Union
section_title: Harvard Debating Championships
hierarchical_section_title: Harvard College Debating Union / Campus events and tournaments / Harvard Debating Championships
context_page_description: The Harvard College Debating Union is Harvard University's only internationally competitive debate team. As the winner of the most American Parliamentary Debate Association National Championships and the 2014, 2016 and 2018 champions of the World Universities Debating Championship, the team is consistently one of the most successful debate organizations in the world.
  The HCDU is currently the top-ranked debate club in American parliamentary debate.
context_section_description: The inaugural Harvard Debating Championships were held on October 23–24, 1981. The tournament has been held annually each year since then and has not only remained an important annual event for the HCDU, serving as the primary fundraiser and for the team, but has become the largest collegiate debate tournament in North America. The team also runs the annual Harvard National Forensics Tournament, multiple round robins, and the Harvard College World Schools Debating Invitational.
caption: The Harvard Science Center where the final round of the Harvard Debating Championships is held each year
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