War of words, British style
Students crossed swords over key international issues, such as the Beijing Olympics, immigration policies and gay rights, during a debating competition based on the British parliamentary model.
The third Hong Kong Parliamentary Debating Society (HKPDS) Summer Workshop was held at New Asia College, Chinese University of Hong Kong, from July 30 to August 3.
Four teams battled it out in the Grand Finals at the University of Hong Kong on August 4, with Anthony Liu, from New York's Cornell University, and Ashley Dennig (Chinese International School) emerging victorious.
The annual programme featured a series of workshops and a nine-round British parliamentary (BP) debating contest aimed at developing the participants' communication, language and analytical skills.
It attracted 118 secondary students from 39 schools in Hong Kong, as well as several students from overseas institutions. The number of participants has doubled over the past two years, according to the organisers.
Eighteen students from Tin Ka Ping Secondary School joined the six-day event. The head of the school's English panel, Wendy Lau, praised the summer workshop for helping to hone the students' mental skills.
BP is an internationally recognised concept used in the Worlds Universities Debating Championships. It is similar to the method adopted by British members of parliament (MPs), with debaters allowed only 15 minutes' preparation time.
Participants were trained by well-known personalities in the field, including Joanna Nairn, champion of Worlds Universities Debating Championships 2006 and Jacob Cliffton, winner of the AustralAsian Debating Championships 2006.
British MPs Nigel Evans and Stephen Pound gave talks and adjudicated the Grand Finals. They also took part in a demonstration debate with the coaches.
'BP is special because it forces you to think on your feet,' Liu said. 'It's vital that you know how to improvise and take advantage of your opponents' weaknesses, while covering up your own.
'Unlike some debate formats that place emphasis on boring research and statistics, BP is fast, dynamic and entertaining.'
HKPDS offers debating workshops and courses for secondary school students throughout the year.
Jocelyn is a Young Post intern
