PDS Debate

To: Thailand Debate Community
Subject: Preparations for the 6th European Union Thailand Inter-varsity Debate Championship
On behalf of Mahidol University International College Debate Club (MUIC-DC) and as the Convener and member of the organizing committee for the 6th European Union Thailand Intervarsity Debate Championship (EU-TH), I would like to announce that Mahidol University International College will be hosting this year’s EU-TH.
website: www.euthdebate.com
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1. Competition dates; 30th August – 3rd September 2010
After listening to the input of the community and our Title sponsors, the EU and Mahidol University, these dates have been chosen to maximize participation, and exposure of the largest National Debate competition in Thailand.

2. 7 rounds, 5 days, Octo-final Main Break, Quarter-final High School Break, EFL Semi-Final Break

Definitions:
a. A rookie team consists of 3 debaters, out of which all 3 debaters have neither had any experience before, nor from an institute that makes it to the main break at the Championships or any of the last 5 preceding Championships
b. A high school team includes of 3 debaters, out of which all three debaters are students are enrolled as students of the representing high-school.c. Independent teams are not allowed to break into the knock-out rounds of the Championshipd. Independent judges are those who do not represent any institute. These judges will only be allowed to register if they posses enough experience in debate.
Over the years participants have requested an Increase of debate rounds, this will decrease the variance of opponent power matching and ensure a clean break for teams with a 5-2 win loss ratio.

3. 64 Team cap, with a Multi phase registration system.

Phase 1 (30th - 9th July) 
will limit institutions to 2 team per University and 1 team per High Schools, this is to ensure equal access to the tournament for newer institutions. 

Phase 2 (8th July - 16th July)
will allow remaining vacancies to be filled by Institutions who have submitted their fully completed registration forms for participants in a first come first serve basis, up to 3 teams per University and 2 teams per High School. This is to ensure that the registration process is completed and will eliminate the trouble of incomplete registration.

Phase 3 (16th July - 23rd July)

will allow all remaining vacancies to be filled by any Institution who has submitted their fully completed registrations forms for participants in a first come first serve basis up to 5 teams per Institution. Once a fair level of accessibility has been ensured, the final cap is one of equality.

4. N=1 Adjudication rule will be strictly enforced. “N” is the number of teams an institution is sending, which then has to equal the number of adjudicators they send. Example: if an institution sends 2 teams they must provide 2 adjudicators.

A standard rule in the Asian an Australian-Asian Debating Circuit for decades, this means that teams who refuse to provide adjudicators and adjudicators who leave prematurely will disqualify and invalidate their participation.

A rule which will ensure an ample pool of adjudicators to draw from during the tournament.

Responsibility falls on the participants to bring experienced adjudicators, because the overall quality of the adjudication pool now becomes a collective responsibility. 

5. Fully automated Tournament tabulation system; itab.

The same program that has been used at the Asian University tournament for the last 5 years and is also the same program ABAC used during the 1st United Asian Debate Championship this past May.

Utilizes tabulation principles that have been accepted and in practice all over Asia and Oceania, and automatically allocates adjudicators according to debater feedback.

Automation minimizes delays due to manual calculation and allocation.

6. Constitutional Convention

Time will be allocated within the schedule to host a series of meetings, in order to discuss a wide range of issues, pertaining to uniform rules, tournament procedures, a code of conduct, and a decision making and voting body by which to further the development of debate.

Convener
LP