The Institute of English and American Studies of the University of Debrecen, the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, and the American Corners in Hungary are pleased to announce the eighth national English-language debate competition for high school students.
Students can apply in teams of three under the supervision of a teacher by submitting a 10- to 15-minute-long creative, argumentative video project on the topic specified below, supported by research-based evidence and arguments. The video projects will be assessed by a panel of experts, who will evaluate the strength of the arguments, the creativity involved in their presentation, the quality of the language used, as well as the team members’ cooperation and presentation skills.
The top teams submitting the most creative and best-argued video projects will have the chance to prove their debating skills in person using the Karl Popper format. In-person semi-finals will take place in January/February 2026, with the in-person grand finals planned for the spring of 2026.
Like previous years, students can compete for valuable prizes offered by the organizers and the sponsors.
This year’s topic for the video projects:
Imagine you have the chance to argue in front of a committee that more than one Hungarian American person should be included in the National Garden of American Heroes. Support your case by highlighting the significance of Hungarian contributions and nominating one person who should receive the honor.
Please first register for the competition by the 1st of November 2025, using this link!
Send the link to your team’s video by the 17th of November 2025, to debatedebrecen@gmail.com