College debaters from 41 countries converge on De La Salle for 'Olympics of Debating'

From 41 countries, they have come to the Philippines to debate.  The World Universities Debating Championships begin December 27 at De La Salle University (DLSU), with 400 teams from more than 200 universities around the globe trying to outwit each other on wide-ranging topics covering sports, fashion, the environment, and many more. It is the biggest debating tournament in the world and is considered the "Olympics of Debating." At least 1,400 university students from all over the world will be participating in the tournament as debaters and adjudicators. Many of the participants comprising the 400 debating teams are Undergraduate and Graduate students with some PhD candidates also participating. There will also be a number of professors accompanying their teams, and a large number of high school students from the Philippines assisting the organizers.  The De La Salle Debate Society (LSDS) will host the tournamentfrom December 27, 2011 to January 4, 2012 at De La Salle University as part of the University’s Centennial Celebration. - Mandy Fernandez/ HS, GMA News