Speech By Radm Teo Chee Hean, Minister For Education & 2nd Minister For Defence, At The Australasia Inter-Varsity Debating Championship 2001, 8 July 01, 4.40 PM

Singapore Government Press Release
Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts,
MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2^nd Storey, Singapore 179369
Tel: 837-9666

SPEECH BY RADM TEO CHEE HEAN, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION & 2^ND MINISTER FOR DEFENCE, AT THE AUSTRALASIA INTER-VARSITY DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIP 2001 ON SUNDAY 8 JULY 01 AT NANYANG AUDITORIUM, NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY AT 4.40 PM

Dr Cham Tao Soon, President, NTU

Debaters

Adjudicators

Members of the Organising Committee

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

Good Afternoon. Thank you for inviting me to join you at the closing ceremony of the AustralAsian Inter-Varsity Debating Championship (AIDC), 2001.

It is a pleasant task for me to be the absolute final speaker of the tournament. I say it is a pleasure, not least because I am in an enviable position, since, unlike all the debaters present, I will be able to share with you insights without being subjected to counter-arguments at every turn. And I do not have to be scrutinised and judged by the panel of adjudicators.

Origins and Relevance of Debate

Sir Karl Raimund Popper, the Anglo-Austrian philosopher remarked, "I may be wrong and you may be right, and by an effort, we may get nearer to the truth." In this short quote, he succinctly defined the purpose of debates.

The debate of ideas, issues and perspectives has been the mainstay and an essential activity of civilised society for more than two thousand years, starting with the ancient Greeks. Through the generations, a variety of issues, including ethics, legislature and aesthetics, have been debated on. These debates have promoted personal expression, accompanied by critical thinking, and the free exchange of ideas. These debates also require participants to look for creative solutions that may be obscure, and to persuade others to understand their perspectives. Debates have helped debaters and spectators, alike, to refine their ideas and provide them with new insights.

Evolution of Debates in the Face of Globalisation

The world we know today is in the constant process of being shaped and reshaped by the spread of trade and the exchange of ideas. The forces of globalisation have made it imperative for us to keep abreast of the events and developments of the world beyond the boundaries of our countries. A result of globalisation is that topics covered in international debates have also expanded to reflect the explosion of knowledge related to the whole range of human endeavours.

Objectives of Debate

Promote Research, Teamwork and Co-operation

The AIDC is no exception. The topics for AIDC debates include the current economic, social, political, and global environment. In preparing for the debates, participants had to undergo a rigorous test of their research abilities, to study and discuss issues from all angles, and in great depth, individually and in their respective teams. This process of research demanded discipline, perseverance and teamwork. The debaters certainly rose to the occasion when they displayed their keen knowledge and perspicacity throughout the eight days of tournament. In addition, they impressed us with their ability to work effectively in teams and to present their arguments seamlessly.

Promote Exchange of Knowledge and Ideas & Communication

The AIDC provides a forum for debaters from across Australia, New Zealand and Asia to exchange knowledge and ideas through debate. As such, it promotes communication between peoples of different races, creed and religion. John Stuart Mill, the renowned philosopher, commented that "he who [knew] only his own side of the case, [knew] little of that". The benefits of such exchanges are, therefore, twofold. First, the participants gain from the opportunity of adequate exposure to vastly different perspectives and also, develop a tolerance, respect and understanding of other world-views, however dissimilar these may be to their own. Second, these interactions benefit the debaters as they challenge them to think intensely of their own perspectives and develop a deeper awareness of world-views that they hold dear.

Significance of AIDC being hosted in Singapore

Singapore as a Meeting Place of Ideas

From the nineteenth century, Singapore�s geographic position established it as a strategic meeting place for trade and commerce in Southeast Asia. With the increase in trade, the natural progression was that Singapore also became a meeting place of ideas. Traders from Europe, the Far East and Southeast Asia flocked to Singapore to exchange knowledge, information, concepts and innovations, on top of exchanging their wares. The country�s rich cultural atmosphere today must be attributed to the flow of ideas that took place over the years.

The concept of Singapore being a meeting place of ideas is further extended with the hosting of the AIDC 2001, the largest three-on-three debating Championship in the world. AIDC 2001 has provided opportunities for our students, as well as students from this region, to learn from one another and exchange ideas. The result is the vibrant atmosphere, bubbling with diverse ideas and information, as debaters who hail from different lands gather together for healthy exchanges in the form of debates.

A Word to Debaters

I am sure that these exchanges are not limited to the volley of ideas displayed during the tournament. I trust that much of the exchanges, be they intellectual or social, have taken place outside the tournament. Such networking and exchanges, I am sure, permit ideas to be cross-fertilised and alliances to be built.

I trust the AIDC 2001 has vastly enriched our debaters here. The tenacity and verve displayed by the debaters during the tournament hint at their courage and determination to see through difficult challenges. Their creativity as shown in their ability to defend their stand, and their willingness to view issues from different angles, further suggest that they are equipped with the necessary aptitude and attitude to face an unknown future. Such are indeed the takeaways of a tournament of this stature and size.

In truth, debating is good preparation for life. Though I said that tonight I have the privilege of not being scrutinised by the august panel of adjudicators, and am immune to counter-argument, in fact I am being scrutinised and judged, and one of you may well later challenge what I have said. Indeed every time that you do speak, and present a point of view, you are being judged, in real life, by those whom you are attempting to speak to. You have to be engaging and convincing or you will lose not only the argument, but worse, you might suffer the indignity of losing the attention of your audience as well.

Throughout the tournament, it was evident that you, participants of the AIDC, have been richly blessed with gifts of persuasion, reason, logical thinking and remarkable oratory skills. Use your gifts and talents to make contributions to society, to benefit others around you.

Thank you.

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