Welcome to the debating event that brings together students from all over
North-Rhine Westphalia
every year since 2014
Europe's future must be discussed!
"We are not uniting States, we are bringing people closer together"
Jean Monnet
"Modern civilisation has based its specific foundation on the principle of liberty which states that man is not a mere instrument to be used by others but rather a main autonomous living being"
Altiero Spinelli
"NRW debattiert Europa" in numbers
since 2014
12
participant universities
+1,100
participants
+50
debates
11
jury members
9
finals
Who participated in the 9th Edition
6 universities, 2 languages
The six universities that took part in the 9th edition of NRW debattiert Europa are presented on the right.
Testimonials
“In addition to extensive contextual knowledge about Europe, NRW debates Europe enables practical relevance and contacts to politics and civil society organisations through innovative and interactive methods (e.g. the voting tool Mentimeter or video recordings) and the regular invitation of external speakers, which are not only valuable for the personal development of students, but can also be important for their later professional success.”
Social Sciences Student Council, University of Duisburg-Essen (2019)
“The time spent on stage and thus in public, presenting arguments developed independently and decisively and being able to react to counter-arguments in a quick-witted manner, brings security and self-confidence and will have a positive influence on the students’ personality development.”
Social Sciences Student Council, University of Duisburg-Essen (2019)
“Jean Monnet Professor Michael Kaeding of the University of Duisburg-Essen wins this year’s ‘PADEMIA Teaching Award’ and is thus honoured for his NRW-wide cross-university debating initiative NRW debates Europe and his outstanding achievements in the field of teaching throughout Europe.”
Jury from the PADEMIA Teaching Awards (2016)
“NRW debates Europe is characterised by its versatility, the ability to think independently, the enhancement of argumentation skills and eloquent presentation, its competitive nature and its clear practical relevance. Students learn competences that have a strong impact on their personal development and sharpen their political science skills, which are often neglected in conventional courses.”
Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Dr Solveig Randhahn (2019)
“I am delighted that this profitable format has been honoured with the PADEMIA Award. At the closing event, I myself was able to see the passion with which the students debated European topics. The project successfully helps students from NRW to network with each other.”
State Secretary for Europe and Media of the State of NRW, Dr Marc Jan Eumann (2016)