Starting May 12: [Call for Participants] Debate Club Workshop

May 8, 2026

Challenge yourself without pressure! Enjoy debating while honing foundational argumentation and diverse perspectives.

Overview

Date and time

Tue, May. 12, 2026 - Tue, Jun. 16, 2026

Venue

Room S6-309A, 3rd floor, South Building 6, Ookayama Campus

Workshop details

[Theory Sessions]
1st session: Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Introduction to debate)
2nd session: Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Strong argumentation, rebuttals)
3rd session: Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Persuasive argumentation, reading the room)
[Joint Session with Tsutaeru Lounge]
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
[Debate Sessions]
1st session: Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
2nd session: Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
3rd session: Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Language

English

Capacity

About 20 participants per session

Eligibility

Science Tokyo students (undergraduate and graduate students)
*This workshop can be taken as a part of an Entrepreneurship Course.
Students are also welcome to participate in this workshop as a one-time attendee.

Introduction

This peer-teaching workshop is proposed and led by international students in Academy for Leadership ("ToTAL"). Faculty members provide guidance as needed while ensuring smooth facilitation.

The first three theory sessions introduce the basics of debate, its benefits, and the workshop’s structure, followed by an icebreaker game or a debate skill-building activity. In the debate sessions, participants will engage in debates on specific topics.

This workshop is recommended for:
– Those who want to enhance logical thinking and persuasive speaking skills.
– Those who feel uneasy about public speaking and want to gain confidence in expressing themselves.
– Those who want to strengthen their critical thinking through practical debate.

Examples of Past Debate Topics

-Sustainable production practices should be legally mandatory for global supply chains
-Universities should treat mental health services as equally important as academic services
-Urban greenspaces are more important than expanding transportation infrastructure in modern cities
-Human gene editing should be legally permitted for disease prevention
-The development of AI should be paused until global regulations are in place
-We should invest more in space exploration
-Non-violent criminals should do community service instead of serving prison time

Facilitator and Teacher's Assistant Team Leader

Taren Ginter
(PhD student, School of Life Science and Technology)

Leadership and Innovation Section, Center for Entrepreneurship Education