IES Ramon Llull from Valencia wins the High School Debate League championship
From 30 March to 1 April, the UAB hosted the Xarxa Vives' High School Debate League championships. Participating were 15 teams from Catalonia, Valencia and Andorra, who debated on whether limits should be put on science.The team from IES Ramon Llull in València won, in representation of the University of Valencia (UV). The University debate League will also take place at the UAB from 4 to 7 April, with students from 15 universities from Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands will have to defend in favour and again the need of a public pharmaceutical in the EU. There will be classifications in real-time and the debates will be live.
In this competition, students come from all areas of knowledge: Law (41%), Economics (13%), Engineering and Architecture (12%), Political Science and Administration (8%), Arts & Humanities (6%), Audiovisual Communication (4%), Catalan Studies (4%), Labour Relations (3%) and Biology (3%).
For the first time ever and as university presiding the Xarxa Vives network of universities, the UAB recently hosted the final phase of the High School Debate League, which began on 30 March and ended on 1 April. The final competition brought together 15 teams, each winners of the local editions held in Catalonia, Valencia and Andorra.
The winner of this year's competition is the team from IES Ramon Llull de València, representing the University of Valencia (UV), who outdebated the team from Jesuïtes Gràcia – Col·legi Kostka de Barcelona, which represented the University of Barcelona (UB). The prize to the best orator went to Jaume Aleixandre Custodi Izaguirre, of the team from IES Serra de Miramar de Valls, representing the Rovira i Virgili University (URV).
The final phase of the competition is the culmination of long trajecotry starting wth 165 centres of Andorra, Catalonia and Valencia which have formed 5,000 students in the art of oratory. Of the 15 eliminatory phases organised by the member universities, the teams classifying for the final phase were: Pare Manyanet Les Corts (University Abat Oliba, CEU), IES Enric Valor (University of Alacant), Lycée Comte de Foix (University of Andorra), Manyanet Sant Andreu (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Jesuïtes Gràcia – Col·legi Kostka (University of Barcelona), Institut Carles Rahola i Llorens (University of Girona), INS Can Roca (International University of Catalonia), IES Jorge Juan (Jaume I University), Jesuïtes Lleida – Col·legi Claver (University of Lleida), IES Misteri d’Elx (University Miguel Hernández, Elx), IES Pere Boïl (Universitat Politècnica de València), Aula Escola Europea (Pompeu Fabra University), Institut Serra de Miramar (Rovira i Virgili University), IES Ramon Llull (University of Valencia), Institut Antoni Pous (University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia).
In addition to the theme proposed for this year's debate, on whether limits should be put on science (“Cal posar límits a la ciència?”), students participated in arguing in favour and against other subjects between teams, with a maximum duration of 32 minutes for each team. Tje comptetion's jury, made up of experts from different areas of knowledge, took into account their teamwork abilities, the solidity of their arguments, fluidness in their speech, quality of the discourse, and formal aspects such as exhibition and body language.
University Debate begins
From Monday 4 April to thursday 7 April, the UAB will be hosting the Xarxa Vives' University Debate League. Students from 15 universities from Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands will be defending both positions in favour and against the need for a publicly run pharmaceutical industry within the European Union («És necessària una indústria farmacèutica pública a la Unió Europea?»). The competition will begin with an eliminatory phase in which all teams will participate, and Thursday will focus on the semi-finals and the grand final debate between the two top teams.
This year's competition includes students from the universities of Alacant, Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Girona, Illes Balears, Jaume I, Lleida, Miguel Hernández d’Elx, Politècnica de Catalunya, Politècnica de València, Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Llull, Rovira i Virgili, València and Vic-Central de Catalunya.
In this edition, students come from all areas of knowledge: Law (41%), Economics (13%), Engineering and Architecture (12%), Political Sciences and Administration (8%), Arts and Humanities (6%), Audiovisual Communication (4%), Catalan Studies (4%), Labour Relations (3%), and Biology (3%). With regard to gender, 47% are women and 53%, men.
There will be classifications in real-time on the Xarxa Vives d’Universitats website and the debates will be offered live through the Xarxa Vives YouTube channel.
UAB High School and University Leagues
The team from the IES Manyanet Sant Andreu, winner of the local edition of the Xarxa Vives' 8th High School Debate League, held at the UAB from 21 to 25 February, represented the UAB this year (Amàlia Alòs, Esteban del Campo, Ingrid Fernández, Marina Regaña and Javier Hernández, as team captain).
The university team representing the UAB in this year's edition is formed by UAB students Caterina Sabán, Samir Rezali, Denís Montoya, Laia López, Gerard Prats and Marc Oriol Crespí, winners of the University Debate League's local edition, held from 28 February to 3 March.
The UAB has participated over a decade in the Xarxa Vives' debates, and was the winner of the 2013, 2015 and 2019 university debate league championships.
Live transmission of the debates can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/user/xarxavives/life
For more information please visit the following websites:
Xarxa Vives d'Universitats (in Catalan)
High School Debate League(in Catalan)
University Debate League(in Catalan)
Blog of the UAB Debate League (in Catalan)
UAB participation (in English)