Professional Debating: Professors versus Students

On November 15, IUB's debating society invites members of the IUB society to join the debating event of the semester: a debate between the professors and the students. Four professors and four students will test their ability to develop and refute arguments to support their position, and eventually to persuade the judges and audience.

[ Nov 15, 2005]  The topics of the debate are set by the organisers and are not announced until shortly before the begin of the debate. The teams have 15 minutes to prepare for their opening speeches. Today's debate takes place in the conference hall of IUB's campus center at 8 p.m. The event will be supported by the German newspaper "Die ZEIT".

Participants:
Dr. Matthijs Bogaards (Professor of Political Science), Dr. Klaudia Brix (Professor of Cell Biology), Dr. Sebastian Springer (Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology), Dr. Benjamin Veghte (Lecturer in Sociology); Axel Domeyer (President of the IUB Debating Society), Kira Grabner, Henrik Maedler, Rick Mukherjee.

There are various styles that one can choose to debate in. The IUB Debating Society runs most of its debates in British Parliamentary Style (BPS), with four teams debating at the same time. In the affirmative position there are two government teams: one opening government and another closing government. The burden of the first is to introduce a case while the second develops the case.