DEbate
Call for applications to the English-Language Debate Competition
for High School Students
The Institute of English and American Studies of the University of Debrecen, the U.S. Embassy, Budapest, and the American Corners in Hungary are happy to announce the eighth national, English-language debate competition for high school students.
Students can apply in teams of three under the supervision of a teacher by submitting a 10- to 15-minute-long creative, argumentative video project on the topic specified below with research-based evidence and arguments. The video projects will be assessed by a panel of experts, who will evaluate the strength of the arguments, the creativity involved in their presentation, the quality of language used, as well as the team members’ cooperation and presentation skills.
The top teams submitting the most creative and best-argued video projects will get the chance to prove their debating skills in person using the Karl Popper format. In-person semi-finals will take place in January/February 2026, with the in-person grand finals planned for the spring of 2026.
Similarly to previous years, students can compete for valuable prizes offered by the organizers and our sponsors.
This year’s topic for the video projects:
Imagine you have the chance to argue in front of a committee that more than one Hungarian-American person should be included in the National Garden of American Heroes. Support your case by highlighting the significance of Hungarian contributions, and nominate one person who should receive the honor.
Please first register for the competition by November 1, 2025, using this link.
Send the link to your team’s video by November 17, 2025, to debatedebrecen@gmail.com
For more information, see our Facebook page or contact us at debatedebrecen@gmail.com
