“An amazing experience in culture and debate”, the sixth annual tournament in Beijing from December 16 to 18 is being advertised by the International Debate Education Association (IDEA). IDEA and the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) are co-organizers of this tournament in the heart of China’s capital city.

The tournament will feature an English division, a Mandarin division, and a Moot Court division. That means there will be three competitions: one in English, one in Mandarin plus a Moot Court competion. Moot court stands for some practice at law schools where participants simulate court proceedings including oral argument.  IDEA promises that their trainers will conduct all training sessions. The official format of the tournament is the British Parliamentary Style (BPS).

On the IDEA website, it is explained that “each university is initially allowed to register two teams in each of the three divisions. Universities will be allowed to enter one additional English team for each Mandarin team they enter. Students do NOT need to register as a team. They may register as individuals and IDEA will help find partners for these individual debaters. The registration deadline is December 12, 2011, at 9:30 pm Beiling time.”

Registration starts November 7 through a form available on the website of Forensic tournament. Get more detailed information from Robert Trapp at trapp [at] willamette [dot] edu.

The facts:

• Beijing (IDEA and BFSU)
• December 16 to 18
• English, Mandarin
• BPS
• Registration opens November 7, ends December 12
• Info: trapp [at] willamette [dot] edu