QatarDebate is the National Debating Organisation for Qatar and a member of Qatar Foundation. QatarDebate was established in September 2007 with the aim of developing, supporting and raising the standard of open discussion and debate among students in Qatar and across the Middle East, shaping the Global Citizens of today and the intellectual leaders of tomorrow.

Find out more about:
Our Mission & Progress
Our People
Our History

Mission & Progress

Since 2007, QatarDebate has run workshops on debate for over 3000 students and faculty at over 30 different educational institutions across Qatar, within Education City and beyond. QatarDebate administered the first ever Qatar-wide debate league between schools and universities from February 2008, and ran National Schools and National Universities debating competitions attended by over 400 students in March 2008. The Qatar National Schools' Debating Competition 2008 was won by Doha College and the National Universities' Debating Competition 2008 was won by The Cornell Medical School - Qatar Campus.

In January 2009, QatarDebate released a 5 disc 'Introduction to Debating' DVD set for use by schools and universities across the Middle East. The training DVDs are available free of charge to national debating federations, schools and universities around the world and will include a standalone introduction to debating, a disc of debate training exercises and 3 demonstration debates. The videos can also be streamed into classrooms over the internet.

At an international level, QatarDebate selects and trains the Qatar National Debating team. The inaugural team attended the 2008 World Schools Debating Championships in Washington DC in September 2008, winning 4 of their 8 debates and setting a new world record as a first-time entrant to the competition in the process. The national team has subsequently attended the 2009 WSDC in Athens in February 2009, again winning 4 out of their 8 debates.

QatarDebate is one of a number of initiatives under the Qatar Foundation which aim to promote free speech and discussion in the Arab World, and as such enjoys a close relationship with the Doha Debates which airs on BBC World and brings world-renowned guest speakers to Qatar to debate important issues facing the arab world, and with Lakom Al Karar, an arabic debate forum which allows Qatari students to question government ministers and other key figures in Qatar on important policy issues.

People

QatarDebate is a Center of the Education Division of Qatar Foundation.  It is led and run by an experienced leadership team:

Executive Director - Dr. Hayat Maarafi
Program Manager - Kelley Bieringer

The programme also employs several administrative members of staff who assist in ensuring the smooth execution of the programme's activities.  These staff members drive QatarDebate to provide top quality debate programs. 

QatarDebate also employs leading debate coaches from around the world to coach in Qatar as part of its program of workshops. Coaches biographies can be found in the 'Coaching' section of the site.

History

QatarDebate was founded in September 2007 under the direction of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Misned and Qatar Foundation, with support from the team behind the Doha Debates.

In the last year and a half, QatarDebate has provided schools with numerous workshops, teacher trainings, and held debate competitions around Qatar.  National Championships were held in both 2008 and 2009 at the school and university level.