Co-Chief Adjudicators

Hello Debaters!

A warm welcome to Kyushu Debate Open. I’ve had the honor to serve on the Adjudication Core of QDO each year from its inception, and I’m proud to see the growth of the tournament from year to year. While Japan is an attractive destination with its culture/cuisine and has a strong tradition of debate, there are unfortunately not many opportunities for foreign debaters to come to Japan—and for Japanese debaters to have an experience of international judging and debating pool. QDO, as the only international BP tournament in Japan, provides a unique opportunity to bring the world to Japan, just in time for the Fall BP season.

This year, we have put together an AC team of highly decorated past and current debaters, and we will try our best to provide you with a set of motions that will be balanced, challenging, and fun. Each room will be judged by one or more individuals from our strong invited adjudicator pool, guaranteeing quality adjudication and feedback no matter which room you are in. The organizing committee, with the support of faculty and administration, has always operated with efficiency and warmth, and will no doubt make your tournament experience a comfortable one. And if that’s not enough, there’s the Kyushu ramen experience that is truly life-altering.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Kyushu this August!

- Joshua Park, Co-CA

We see the sunrise of the new debate era, which I call it as “Debate 2.0”.  

“Debate 2.0” is not about finding faults of others like a quarrel among small number of people.  It is about exploring different perspectives all around the world on a variety of topics, understanding pain and agony of various communities and cultivating the ability to effectively communicate one’s thoughts in a very short preparation time.  It is about having an inclusive community where people from different nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, belief, etc. can gather in one place and enjoy debating.

We see the sunrise of “Debate 2.0” in Kyushu, Japan.

Since 2014, when it was my honor to serve as the first Chief Adjudicator, I was moved by young debaters in Kyushu.  They want to bring one of the best tournaments in Japan.  They want to create a platform to listen, speak and exchange ideas.  They want to learn more about debating. They want to make the tournament better every single year without a compromise.  Every year, young students work very hard for over 6 months to prepare.  Also, many support the tournament since the establishment.  That is why I came back again this year for the 3rd time.

The tournament started in a small scale 3 years ago.  Nevertheless, the progress of the tournament is evident in many areas: tournament name, number and diversity of participants, sponsors, logistics, socials, food…  

Why won’t you join us, to be a part of history, and to be a part of “Debate 2.0”, here in Kyushu?

Akira Kato, Co-CA

Khac Hung (CA)
Hello debaters

I started debating since 2016, and the very first BP tournament that I joined was Kyushu Cup (previous name of Kyushu Debate Open) 2016. Until now, I still remember how nervous I was during the tournament, and how disappointing the result was. Nevertheless, Kyushu Cup/ Kyushu Debate Open taught me more than just the results and speaker scores. I learned that debate is not about finding flaws and winning, it is about listening to new ideas, new perspectives and sharing your own opinions. I learned that debate is not to disrespect, but to respect all people regardless of their identities. 

Three years have passed, now Kyushu Debate Open becomes the biggest international BP tournament in Japan with over 100 participants from more than 20 countries each year. This year, it is a great chance for me to contribute back to the tournament that taught me a lot about debate and Kyushu debating community as I have the honor to serve on the Adjudication Core of QDO 2019.  Our AC team this year is really strong and together we will try to provide the best motions for the tournament. Debaters, if you want to enjoy great food, spend time with old friends and make new friends as well as share your opinions and perspectives, Kyushu Debate Open 2019 will be the best option for you.

I’m looking forward to seeing you in this August