Five students from the CMU-Q debating society showcased their debating skills at the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) over the winter break. Yousuf Akhlaq, Tehseen Niaz, Shahan Ali Memon, Moussa Zekak and Farha Khan travelled to Thessaloniki, Greece, to compete at the world’s largest debating competition, the seventh trip for CMU-Q in eight years.

“Debating is excellent preparation for our careers,” said Yousuf Akhlaq, president of Carnegie Mellon Debating Society. “You learn to think critically on the spot, and boil a problem down to the critical issues.”

CMU-Q’s consistent presence at the world championships has earned them a berth for two teams. Team members were selected for the international competition based on performance and participation in the society’s many events. CMU-Q has an active presence in university debate within Qatar, winning the Qatar Universities Debating League (QUDL) Championship for 2014-15.