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About us
LSE Debate Society is one of the most successful competitive debate societies in the world. The Society seeks to provide a forum for developing public speaking, logic, argumentation and rhetorical skills at the London School of Economics. The Debate Society represents LSE at inter-varsity competitions throughout Britain, Europe and the World. We hold weekly practice and training sessions that are open to all students: our Tuesday Novice Training sessions are aimed at members new to debates and public speaking and our Thursday Advanced Training sessions are geared towards members keen on engaging competitively with Debates. Additionally, we organise internal tournaments for LSE students and host external tournaments that attract competitors from around the world.
Moreover, the society has a separate branch of Public Debates which provides a platform for diverse arguments and opinions on the most pressing issues of our time, inviting some of the most eminent personalities and speakers that are experts and at the forefront of those issues. Some of the speakers we hosted last term included:
- Miss Emily Lau, former Chairwoman of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party and a leader of Hong Kong’s opposition movement;
- Mr Ian Blackford, leader of the Scottish National Party on the question of Scottish Independence and
- Mr Richard Braine, leader of UKIP on the question of Brexit.
The Debate Society is the right place for anyone keen on engaging and hosting public debates on important issues.
Membership
Purchasing a membership to our society will give members access to our weekly training sessions conducted by top-ranked debaters in the world, incredibly fun socials and most importantly the opportunity to compete for *free* at all external tournaments as the society covers the registration fee. The membership also allows participants to run for committee and help organise and host Public Debates and Internal LSE tournaments.
The Debate Society is one of the largest societies at LSE, and you'll get the opportunity to meet highly talented, like-minded and wonderful people. It's the ultimate place to find life-long friends whilst engaging in an exciting activity.
Events and Activities
WELCOME WEEK EVENTS:
1. Tuesday 27th September: Give it a Go Session - the committee will host this session from 6:30 -9 PM for everyone interested in joining Debate Society. This session will be an opportunity for everyone to meet the committee and more importantly engage in fun activities together to get to know more about Debates!
2. Thursday 29th September: Show Debate - this is where everyone can see British Parliamentary debates in action! The Debate Society will host a second session from 6:30- 9PM, but this time we will invite some of the best and funniest debaters from across London universities to debate a fun topic - where you can sit back, watch and enjoy an exceptionally fun debate!
3. Saturday 1st October: Novice Cup - Whether you're new to LSE or would just like to give debating a try, you are warmly invited to attend. We promise three rounds of competitive debating in a friendly, relaxed environment, followed by a final.
Over the course of the year we host a wide number of events including:
- Training every Tuesday and Thursday (after which we head to the pub!)
- Regular debate socials including Club Karaoke, Ice skating, Halloween, Diwali and more
- Internal LSE tournaments including Novice Cup
- Opportunity to compete at external tournaments across London and UK every week including those in Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and more
- Opportunity to compete at international tournaments including World and European University Debating Championships. WUDC will be held in Serbia this year and EUDC in Croatia.
Contact Us
We have a Facebook members group dedicated to answering any questions you might have but to also keep you updated on all our events.
Please email or message on the following platforms to join the FB messenger chat to ask any questions and to stay in touch with the committee.