CMU-Q debaters place third at Asian Arabic language championship
A team of CMU-Q students placed third at the Asian Arabic Language Debating Championship held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team earned first place after the qualifying rounds, but was edged out in the semi-final match. About 50 teams from across Asia participated in the tournament.
Rahaf Abutarbush, Ammar Karkour and Abdullah Shaar attribute their success to the CMU-Q approach to problem solving. Abutarbush notes, “The way CMU-Q makes you think is logic based, which helps a lot in debates.”
The students first represented CMU-Q in March at the 5th International Universities Debating Championship, hosted by QatarDebate. The team placed ninth in a field of 107 teams from 51 Arab and non-Arab countries. CMU-Q has been very active in university-level debate in English, but this was the first time an Education City partner university participated in the Arabic language championship.
Although all three students were Arabic language debaters in middle and high school, they found it challenging to return to Arabic language debate. With practice, they quickly improved. “It’s all about the argument and how you debate,” said Karkour.
The team plans to continue with Arabic language debating within Qatar.