Swiss Universities Debating Championships 2026

Registration is now open!

Registration for teams, judges and unmatched speakers

We are excited to be organizing Swiss Universities Debating Championships for the second time on Saturday 16th May 2026, in-person in Zürich . The event will take place at the Zentrum campus of ETH and UZH in the CHN building (D-USYS building).

The tournament will consist out of four rounds of debates, followed by a final for the best performing teams. The format of debates will be British Parliamentary with 5 minute speeches.

We are excited to see you in Zürich at the 16th!

FAQs

  • Do I need prior debating experience to participate? No! The tournament is open to people of all abilities and experience. We will explain the format during the briefings at the start of the day to ensure that those who haven’t debated before will be able to take part.
  • What format will the tournament be in? It will take place in the British Parliamentary debating format, with 5 minute speeches.
  • I have access needs. Will you be providing accommodations? Please contact us per email or DM us on Instagram, so we can find appropriate adjustments for you.

For any questions or inquiries email us at debattierclub@vseth.ethz.ch or DM us on Instagram or Messenger.

Schedule

09:00-09:30 Registration
09:30-10:00 Briefings
10:00-11:30 Round 1
11:30-13:00 Round 2
13:00-14:00 Lunch (provided)
14:00-15:30 Round 3
15:30-17:00 Round 4
17:00-17:30 Break and break announcement
17:30-19:00 Finals
19:00-late Social

Zürich Schools Winter 2025

What?

A one-day tournament, where students will participate in four rounds of debate (in English, following rules of World Schools Debate Championships (WSDC)), against students from schools across Switzerland. 

When?

In-person at UZH/ ETH in central Zürich on Saturday, 8th November 2025 (schedule down below).

How do I Sign Up?

Sign up for ETH Zürich Schools Winter 2025 is open from now until October 29th (extended deadline!!) via the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9-w0PlJuAlzb4KKZUtuXBwEWBwzYykgJxCntv4FgLndqI8Q/viewform?usp=header

We anticipate high demand, and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis – so be fast!

Registration Details

Teams of 3 students over the age of 13 may be registered. Note that all teams must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

After sign-up via the form, slots will be confirmed via Email, alongside the exact address, details on the workshops and invoicing. 

A registration fee of 20 CHF per public school student (subsidised) and 60 CHF per private school student will have to be paid that will go towards a catered lunch, light refreshments, as well as a modest compensation for our judges.  

Why Participate?

Debating is an excellent extra-curricular activity. It helps students to build confidence with public speaking, develops critical thinking skills and teaches them how to express themselves in a structured and concise manner. Of course, it also looks great on university applications!

Additionally, many judges are part of the Swiss Debating Council, the organization that selects high-school debaters for the Swiss national Debating Team that attends the World Schools Debating Championships every year. This is a great way to get to know them!

We have received very positive feedback from schools who attended the last debating tournaments we hosted (the Swiss Schools Debating Championships 2024 and ETH Zürich Schools Debating Tournament in March 2025). The topics set at the Swiss Schools Debating Championships 2024 are available online (https://swissschools24.calicotab.com/_/motions/).

My students have no experience debating, can I still attend?

Yes, the tournament is designed with this specifically in mind, as it is our aim to help establish debating in Switzerland. 

We will host 2 online events the week before the tournament. A show debate by experienced members of the ETH Zürich and UZH debating society, as well as a workshop on basics of argumentation. 

There will also be a short speaker briefing the day of the event to reiterate the rules of the WSDC format.

Further Information on the World Schools Debating Championships: https://www.wsdcdebating.org/

What is the Schedule? 

09:00-09:30: registration window (please arrive by 09:20 at the latest)

09:30-10:00: speaker briefings 

10:00-11:45: round 1
11:45-13:30: round 2

13:30-14:15: lunch (provided)

14:15-16:00: round 3 

16:30-17:00: break and finals announcement

17:00-18:30: grand final

18:45- 19h15: closing and awards ceremony

Questions?

No problem! Please don’t hesitate to contact our school’s officer Aude Nardelli (anardelli@student.ethz.ch) who is a previous member and coach of the German national WSDC debate team at the Debating Society Germany.