BRAC University organized a reception for its students Sourodip Paul and Sajid Asbat Khandaker, winners of this year’s World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC 2022). On behalf of the university, Professor Vincent Chang, Vice-Chancellor, BRAC University gave the duo a warm reception at Vice-Chancellor’s office. Professor Chang praised their success and told that this should be something to take inspiration from.
“It feels great to have our students winning at global events. I believe every single student has the ability to become a champion at whatever they do. That being said, when it comes to international competitions, you may win a few or lose a few. But what matters is participation”, said Professor Chang.
On the same day, BRAC University Debating Club (BUDC) organized a reception at the university’s auditorium where the student had the chance to listen from Sourodip and Sajid. Tahsina Rahman, Joint Director, Student Life, BRAC University moderated event.
Dave Dowland, Registrar of BRAC University, said the duo’s success was also that of Bangladesh, BRAC University and the debating movement around the country. Debating should be a central activity for a university and there are quite a number of conscious young people interested in debating, addressing social issues and engaging in practical action on the ground to improve society, he said.
Sourodip Paul and Sajid Asbat Khandaker hoped that their win would encourage others to take up debating and come out of the mental barrier that it was difficult to beat teams from high profile universities. Sajid mentioned that debating taught him to be analytical, to ensure clarity while speaking, to attain better grades and to work as a team.
For aspiring debaters, they suggested taking lessons from debate workshops and tutorials available online. They also suggested being organized, maintaining a calendar, properly balancing priorities and, most importantly, loving the extracurricular activities one engages in. They also recommended avoiding jargons and reading articles pertaining to economics and international relations.