It is the most important tournament of the year: From December 27 until January 4, more than 1000 participants will gather in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC). Registration opened at 8 am on Saturday, December 27. The official program will start in the evening at 8 pm with welcoming drinks. Up to this point, registration was smooth with no major problems and short waiting times. For many, the only problem is becoming accustomed to the tropical weather with temperatures between 24-30°C and a humidity of almost 100 percent.

The participants are being accomodated in the five-star Pullmann Kuala Lumpur Bangsar Hotel, which offers a gym area and a pool. Unfortunately, the pool is not located on the roof and there is no bar next to it. Some of the participants voiced disappointment: „I was really looking forward to sit next to the pool and drink cocktails with tiny umbrellas in it,“ one said.

As the tournament’s title suggests, the people taking part in the WUDC 2015 come from all over the world. A map provided by the organisers shows the diverse backgrounds nicely. For interested people there will be a livestream to follow the tournament from home.

The Chief Adjudication panel of the tournament consists of Shafiq Bazari, Jonathan Leader Maynard and five additional Deputy Chief Adjudicators. Sunday, December 28, will start with briefings and a Q&A session, followed by the first rounds of the WUDC’s Masters‘ Cup, a small debating competition in which experienced trainers and judges speak for one nation of their choice.

The organisers communicate and offer information, for example a suvival guide on Facebook, Twitter and their homepage.

As always, the Achte Minute will post all motions and results on Twitter and Facebook. Teresa Widlok, Anne Gaa and Alexander Hans will report from Malaysia, using the official Hashtag #WUDC2015.

gaa/hug