UI wins English debate contest

SURABAYA: The University of Indonesia (UI) won the third Indonesian Varsities English Debate (IVED) contest here after an all-UI final.

Team manager Ria Nuri Dharmawan said on Monday the trio of Idauli Hutasoit, Adhy Poetra Al-Hosen and Puguh Priambodo beat their university colleagues of Florence Yohana, Firliana Purwanti and Dyah Yasmina in the debate on Saturday on how to change the old system of democracy in the world.

Idauli and company insisted that western countries "must change their ways to foster democracy in developing countries through friendlier approaches rather than imposing trade sanctions".

They won the Minister of Education and Culture and IVED trophies plus Rp 1 million in cash.

Firliana Purwanti, an UI law student class of 1996, was named the best speaker in the event hosted by Petra Christian University.

Thirty-three teams from 18 universities joined the annual debate that uses the Australasian parliamentary format, in which each member of a team is given seven minutes to speak.

The contest will move to the Bandung Institute of Technology next year. (edt)