Wellington's Victoria University has been playing host to the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships this week, one of the largest annual student events in the world.

Tonight, the six best women from Australasian universities will debate each other at Parliament. The semi-finals and grand-finals of the tournament will take place on Sunday. It is the world's second-largest debating tournament.

Australs tournament co-convener Daniel Wilson said Victoria University had six teams in the tournament this year and there were 90 teams from the Australasian region in total. ''Victoria has two teams in the knock-out phases, so unfortunately with the way the tournament is set up, they will face each other in the first round on Saturday morning.''

Mr Wilson said the women's debate today was a prestigious annual event. ''It is designed to celebrate debating and achievement of women in Australasia.''

More than 350 tertiary students from across the Asia-Pacific region have been in the capital since July 8 to debate topics on anything from public policy to sexuality and culture. Teams of three face off against each other after half an hour of preparation and speeches are eight minutes long.

The top 16 teams proceed to the finals and compete to be grand champion.

The tournament was last held in Wellington in 2006.

The Victoria University Debating Society has won Australs five times since 1975.

Members of the public are welcome to watch the finals rounds over the weekend. There will be debating at Old St Paul's from 10am tomorrow which is free for the public. Tickets to the Grand Final at the Paramount Theatre on

Sunday night can be purchased through www.australs2012.com

 

Contact Shabnam Dastgheib
Breaking news reporter
Email: shabnam.dastgheib@dompost.co.nz
Twitter: @shab_d

- © Fairfax NZ News

Comments