The European Universities Debating Championship (EUDC) is an annual debating tournament for teams from universities in Europe. The competition uses the British Parliamentary Debate format (the same debate format used at the World Universities Debating Championship).
Contents
The championships as they are known today were first held in Rotterdam, Netherlands at Erasmus University from 8–11 April 1999. Subsequent tournaments were held at a similar time of year until Koc EUDC in 2007 when the tournament shifted to the late summer in order to accommodate all university examination periods across the continent. The competition has also become longer to accommodate the growth of the event.
The competition in 1999 involved 32 teams of two speakers, but has now grown to involve up to 200 teams each year. Institutions can enter more than one team based on the ability of the organisers to accommodate them. Some institutions also enter teams from more than one separate debating societies within their institution.
Participating teams are drawn principally from European tertiary education institutions, although teams from the Middle East and central Asian institutions are eligible pending the formation of similar competitions in their regions. Students at the Inns of Court are also eligible subject to some conditions.
Current Champions
The current European Champions are Michael Dunn Goekjian and Stefan Siridžanski from the Faculty of Business Economy and Entrepreneurship in Belgrade, Serbia. The 'English as a Second Language' category was won by Ayal Hayut-man and Dan Lahav from Tel Aviv University.
Championships
These are the institutions (universities or debating bodies) that have hosted or will host the European Universities Debating Championships.
EUDC Council and EUDC Committee
In 1999, the EUDC Council was formed as the highest decision making organ. Every competing nation has one vote. The council sits during the tournament. It decides on the constitution, criteria regarding eligibility issues, and about the hosts of future championships.
The EUDC Committee consist of a president, who also chairs the council, a secretary, a registrar, the hosts of the current tournament and the past tournament and regional representatives for central and eastern Europe, for Northern and Western Europe, South-East Europe, the middle east and the Islands of the North Atlantic.
The current chair of council and president of the committee is Marcus Ewald from the Debattierclub Johannes Gutenberg from Mainz. He succeeded Stephen Nolan from the Literary and Debating Society in Galway, who took over from Jens Fischer from the Berlin Debating Union in 2011.