Summary
A newly-formed, interdisciplinary team of three CMU-Q students reached the grand finale of the 3rd Asian Arabic Debating Championship (AADC) in Oman, competing against 145 debaters from 18 countries. Student Mohamed Elzeni also won the silver medal for individual speakers. The team credited their success to the analytical skills gained at CMU-Q and the strong mentorship culture in the university's Arabic debate community.
A team of three Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) students reached the finals at the 3rd Asian Arabic Debating Championship (AADC) held in Muscat, Oman. CMU-Q is a Qatar Foundation partner university.
The interdisciplinary team was composed of computer science senior Mohamed Elzeni, information systems sophomore Mohamed Elosta, and biological sciences sophomore Ali Shaar. CMU-Q alumnus Diram Tabaa (CS 2024), himself a veteran Arabic debater, coached and mentored the team. Together they navigated a challenging field of 145 debaters from 18 countries to secure their spot in the grand finale.
The team’s success is especially noteworthy given their new formation. The competition was the first for Shaar, Elosta had only limited experience, and Elzeni, the team’s most experienced debater, had only been competing for a year.
“Because our team was so new, we went in without huge expectations.” Elzeni took on a leadership role throughout the tournament, and this dynamic proved to be a strength. The team won an impressive six out of their eight debates by being adept, listening carefully to the judges comments, and implementing feedback after each round.
Elzeni also received the silver medal for individual speakers at the tournament. “It was a very proud moment, because both the first and third place speakers were Qatar University students,” he said. “Qatar swept the tournament in that category!”
For all of the students, Arabic debate is an enjoyable, thought-provoking way to connect with their language, identity, and region.
“Before CMU-Q, I had been in all-Arabic schools, so my comfort zone is in Arabic,” Shaar explained. “When I began my studies at CMU, it was a big transition. With the debate club, I feel like I’m balancing it out.”
Elosta agreed, adding, “At CMU-Q, not everybody speaks Arabic, so I found the debate club a great opportunity to learn better and improve my language.”
Beyond just practice, Elzeni noted that debate provides a forum for high-level discourse that is essential for their future as leaders in the Arab world.
“As Arabs, we understand things through the lens of our language and our culture,” he said. “And that’s basically what Arabic debate is giving to us: the ability to describe things and talk about them the way the media in Arabic talks about them, the way the government or politicians in the Arab world talk about them.”The team also highlighted the strong mentorship culture within the CMU-Q Arabic debate community. They received coaching from both Tabaa and Moamin Ibrahim (CS 2024), both debaters on the team that reached the finals at the 4th Annual United States Arabic Debate Championships. Following their success in Muscat, the team is energized and hopes to expand the club, with a goal of fostering two full teams for future competitions.
