Debating by the Channel: Save the date for the Sciences Po IV 2011 from 7 to 9 May. The English Debating Society (EDS) is going to host the ESL-only tournament in France’s Normandy. The format is British Parliamentary Style (BPS), the language of the tournament is English. In 2009, the Sciences Po IV was held for the first time as the first tournament that is for ELS debaters only, as is reported on the competition’s (not yet updatedf) website. ESL stands for “English as a Second Language“ which is a category at international debating tournaments for non-native speakers of English.

While prelims will be held at the Euro-Asia campus, the finals will be staged at Le Havre’s City Hall in the presence of Richard Descoings, director of Sciences Po. Sciences Po is short for the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris that founded a branch in Le Havre in 2007. This branch is specialized in Europe and Asia Studies.

No chief adjudicators have so far been announced for this year’s Sciences Po IV, but one may expect Europe’s top CAs as Krystal Lee, convenor of the Sciences Po, revealed to Achte Minute. In past years very renown debaters have been CA-ing the competition, for instance Anne Valkering (convenor of Amsterdam Euros 2010, ESL winner Euros 2008, ESL finalist Worlds 2008) and Chris Croke (winner Worlds 2010, finalist Worlds 2008, winner Australs 2009 and CA at Australs 2008 and 2010).

More detailed info on registration, reg fee and schedule of this year’s Sciences Po IV is available via english [dot] debating [at] sciences-po [dot] fr, on the tournament’s website and on the Facebook website of the competition.

Addendum, 21 February 2011:

The adjudication panel may not be confirmed entirely, but news leaked from the org comm of Sciences Po IV: Chief adjudicator will be Manos Moschopoulos, his deputies are Anne Valkering, Isabelle Loewe, Milan Vignjevic and Rob Honig, as convenor Krystal revealed to Achte Minute. We think the names speak for themselves, at least to those conversant with the international debating circuit.