Austrian Debate Cup

The tournament welcomed 16 teams, representing 6 schools, along with 20+ judges and observers from 8 different countries. Over the course of three days, students engaged in five challenging motions, participated in a lively Culture Night, and enjoyed excellent catering — with special thanks to Indie Burger for supporting the event.

This year the winners were our colleagues and indeed rivals from Vienna who won the Grand Final and the Newcomers Final. GIBS A were ranked 9th, performing admirably while also volunteering and organizing the event! A special mention to Nora Bärenthaler from 5b for finishing 17th out of 60 students and best GIBS speaker beating out students from year 6 & 7. Our Newcomers Stella Bunel 6i and Atharv Dekate 5a also did very well! The GIBS students learned a lot from this high quality international tournament and are motivated and determined to work on their skills going forward!

The atmosphere throughout the weekend was collaborative, energetic, and inspiring. We were particularly excited to have a team from Sacré Coeur and observers from Klusemann and Kepler (BRG).  Students formed new friendships, strengthened local & international connections, and developed valuable debating, critical-thinking, and communication skills. The continued growth of the debate community in Graz and Austria is something we are proud to support and foster.

We extend our sincere thanks to:

• Mr Töbe, for ensuring the school facilities ran smoothly despite the constant movement of over 100 visitors.
• Mr Fröhlich, Ms Knapp, Ms Pehjsl, and Ms Greimel, whose support before and during the event was essential.
• The dedicated volunteers, who gave their time throughout the weekend to help coordinate and manage the tournament.
• The international judging panel, including judges from Ireland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czechia, Switzerland, and beyond, whose expertise and feedback greatly enriched the experience for students and teachers alike.
• The sponsors who helped support the event (Stadt Graz, Österreichischer Städtebund, Erasmus+, BillaPlus etc)

We look forward to continuing this momentum and further developing our school’s debate programme on the national and international stage!