The World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) is the world's biggest debating tournament, held annually in English with teams representing universities from across the world.

WUDC uses the British Parliamentary (BP) debate format.

• 15 minutes prior to each round, a "motion" is announced. Motions are drawn from a wide range of topic areas, including domestic and foreign policy, philosophy, political theory, and so on. Debaters have no idea what the motion will be until it is announced.

• Four teams compete in each round, two on each side. Each team in the round has to rebut any arguments made by the two teams on the other side of the motion, and to do a better job of defending the motion than the other team on its own side.

• Each of the four teams comprises two members, each of whom gives one speech with an upper time limit of seven minutes.

• After all eight speakers have made their case, the adjudicators collectively ranks the teams from 1 (best) to 4 (worst).

Read more about the British Parliamentary format

WUDC is governed by the World Universities Debating Council, which sets the parameters of the tournament with the rules of debate, eligibility to participate, and in the selection of the annual host.