CAUCASUS SCHOOLS DEBATE
CUP
The first regional WSDC-style debate championship uniting students across the Caucasus
WHAT IS CSDC?
Hosted by UWC Dilijan, the Caucasus School Debate Cup (CSDC) brings together students from across the wider Caucasus region for a weekend of high-level debating, critical discussion, and intellectual exchange. Through the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) format, participants will engage with complex global issues, construct persuasive arguments, and compete in an academically rigorous yet collaborative environment.
Designed for students of all experience levels, the tournament aims to challenge participants’ thinking, strengthen public speaking and analytical skills, and foster meaningful cross-cultural dialogue through debate.
Designed for students of all experience levels, the tournament aims to challenge participants’ thinking, strengthen public speaking and analytical skills, and foster meaningful cross-cultural dialogue through debate.
Date: October 30th – November 1st, 2026
Location: UWC Dilijan
Format: World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC)
Eligibility: Students aged 14–18 of any debate experience level.
Judges must be experienced and may be of any age.
Experience UWC Dilijan!
At UWC Dilijan, students from across the world live, study, and build community together on a single campus in Armenia. With more than 80 nationalities represented, every classroom discussion, dining hall conversation, and group project becomes an exchange of perspectives shaped by different cultures, languages, and lived experiences.
This is not a short-term exchange or visiting programme. It is a fully immersive environment where students learn to collaborate across differences, navigate complexity, and understand global issues through multiple viewpoints.
Beyond academics, daily life reflects this diversity: shared traditions, international events, multilingual spaces, and student-led initiatives that bring together cultures that would rarely intersect elsewhere.
UWC Dilijan is built on the idea that education is stronger when it is shared across borders, identities, and experiences.
All of these traits are what make UWC Dilijan the perfect place to host the event.
This is not a short-term exchange or visiting programme. It is a fully immersive environment where students learn to collaborate across differences, navigate complexity, and understand global issues through multiple viewpoints.
Beyond academics, daily life reflects this diversity: shared traditions, international events, multilingual spaces, and student-led initiatives that bring together cultures that would rarely intersect elsewhere.
UWC Dilijan is built on the idea that education is stronger when it is shared across borders, identities, and experiences.
All of these traits are what make UWC Dilijan the perfect place to host the event.
WSDC FORMAT
The Caucasus Schools Debate Cup follows the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) format, one of the most internationally recognized styles of competitive debate.
Teams of three speakers debate both prepared and impromptu motions on global issues ranging from politics and economics to ethics, culture, and international relations. Debates emphasize critical thinking, structured argumentation, rebuttal, teamwork, and persuasive public speaking.
The tournament will include:
- Preliminary rounds
- Prepared and impromptu motions
- Adjudicated debates
- Elimination rounds leading to a Grand Final
Suitable for both beginner and experienced debaters.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
-
DEVELOP ARGUMENTATION SKILLS
-
MEET STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE REGION
- IMPROVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
-
EXPERIENCE INTERNATIONAL DEBATE CULTURE
We would like to make debate opportunities as accessible as possible in the Caucasus region. As students at UWC Dilijan, we know the importance of discussing important issues in an organised manner. Debate tournaments offer the perfect framework for that: they are a mix of quick thinking and argumentation skills, all tied to how well you can express them. Although debate seems complicated at first, it is truly one of the most interesting and collaborative things we have had the chance to participate in. We encourage everyone, no matter how experienced, to give it a try, and most importantly, to not forget to enjoy the process!
-Kajsa Stabel (Norway) and Xenia Luchian (Moldova),
Co-founders of CSDC
-Kajsa Stabel (Norway) and Xenia Luchian (Moldova),
Co-founders of CSDC
PARTICIPATION FEE
The participation fee is 15,000 AMD.
Further information will be provided upon acceptance.
The participation fee is 15,000 AMD.
Further information will be provided upon acceptance.
FAQs
No. Participants of all experience levels are welcome.
Applications open on June 1st, 2026 and close on August 20th, 2026.
Yes, the first day of the competition contains mainly workshops to develop and improve debating skills.
Yes. All debates and official communications will be conducted in English. A level of above B1 in English is highly recommended.
There are 6 rounds in total, with two rounds containing prompted motions and 4 of them, including the Grand Final, containing impromptu motions. However, due to a lot of beginners participating, there will still be around 15 minutes of prep time before impromptu motions.
Schools may be able to register multiple teams depending on tournament capacity and registration guidelines.
For any other questions, do not hesitate to contact us!
7 Getapnya St, Dilijan, 3903
Email: wsdilijan@uwcdilijan.am
Phone number: +374 93 597 408
7 Getapnya St, Dilijan, 3903
Email: wsdilijan@uwcdilijan.am
Phone number: +374 93 597 408
© 2026 Caucasus Schools Debate Cup
