80 student debaters from 20 top debating universities will take part at QIUP World Universities Peace Invitational Debate (QIUP WUPID) 2017. Minister of Higher Education Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh today launched the prestigious university debate championship, an invitational debate tournament targeted at promoting discourse related to global peace and social justice. QIUP is the title sponsor and host University to this prestigious tournament.
Minister of Higher Education Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh said: “I thank Quest International University Perak for reviving WUPID 2017 which has not been active for a few years now. This is a good example of how a private institution can work together with the Government for the betterment of the nation. Inculcating the skills of debating is pivotal in building an all rounded citizen and I look forward to more of such international level competitions to be held here.”
QIUP Council Member Mr. Zaheer Merchant said: “We wish to thank the Minister of Higher Education for graciously launching QIUP WUPID 2017. We view debating as an important tool in innovation as it has proven to be a significant element for policy-design and decision-making. We recognise that freedom of innovation is a key driver for economic growth, and as Malaysia continues to move towards a high-value, knowledge-based economy with a strong focus on the services and manufacturing sectors, the culture of debating will play a critical role that not only raises the overall efficiency and productivity of the nation, but also preserving the moral and ethical standards of its collective society.”
Co-Founder of the World Universities Peace Invitational Debate Mr. Daniel Hasni Mustafa said: “The objective of the tournament is to have the best university debaters to discuss and argue peace related issues and formulate possible resolutions during their debating sessions. The organisers hope, that debating activities like this would be able to foster respect, tolerance and most importantly, togetherness in a world which despite all the technological advancements, very much worlds apart. Often, it is the fear and apprehension of our differences – ideological and cultural – that motivate people to exhibit certain behaviour, which may be considered belligerent.
Also present at the launching ceremony were Mr. Nicholas Goh, Chief Operating Officer of QIUP and Associate Professor Dr. Chandran Somasundram, Chief Adjudicator of WUPID.
In conjunction with the launch of QIUP WUPID 2017, the organisers also announced the introduction of the Arif Zakaullah Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the Best Overall Speaker of the tournament. The memorial trophy is commissioned by IIUM and is named in honour of Professor Dr. Arif Zakaullah, the founder of the English Debate Unit at IIUM and promoter of competitive debating in Malaysia.
The launch also saw an exhibition debate by current debating champions from the Australian National University (ANU), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UTMARA), Universiti Malaya (UM) and from the host university, Quest International University Perak (QIUP).
