HPDU埼玉県大会 今年度の開催情報

↓ English ver. ↓

Below is the latest version of the event details (as of November 25).

An official document will be sent to all schools in the prefecture at a later date, but there are no planned changes to the content listed below. 

Saitama Senior High School English Education& Research Association

Winter Cup English Debate Tournament

& 14th High School Parliamentary Debate Union Cup Saitama Preliminaries
HPDU of Saitama Competition 2024

General Information

The 14th High School Parliamentary Debate Union (HPDU) Cup National Tournament, hosted by the HPDU, will be held at the National Olympic Memorial Youth Center from Friday, March 21, 2025, to Sunday, March 23, 2025.

As a prerequisite for advancing to the National Tournament, a preliminary round will be conducted in Saitama Prefecture as detailed below. The results of this competition will determine which schools from Saitama will represent the prefecture at the National Tournament. We welcome participation from high schools in Saitama.

Details

1. Purpose

This competition aims to provide high school students with opportunities to improve their communication skills in English and logical thinking abilities through impromptu English debates. Based on the results of this competition, Saitama’s representative schools for the HPDU National Tournament will be selected.

2. Co-organizers

• Saitama Senior High School English Education& Research Association

• High School Parliamentary Debate Union (HPDU)

3. Date and Time

Sunday, February 2, 2025
From 8:50 AM to 5:30 PM

4. Venue

Saitama Municipal Urawa High School

• Address: 1-28-17 Motomachi, Urawa-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama Prefecture

• Access: 12-minute walk from JR Keihin-Tohoku Line "Kita-Urawa" Station

• Phone: 048-886-2151

5. Tournament Overview

• Preliminary Rounds: Four rounds will be conducted. (From the second round onward, pairings will be based on performance.) Schools will be ranked based on cumulative results.

• Schools will be recommended for the National Tournament starting with the top-ranking team.

• The champion school will secure a guaranteed spot in the National Tournament. Schools ranked below may still qualify depending on how many shools will participate from other prefectures after all preliminary competitions conclude.

Reference: Last year, three out of seven participating schools from Saitama advanced to the National Tournament, including the champion.
Note: The more schools participate in the prefectural competition, the more schools Saitama can send to the National Tournament.

6. Debate Format

Impromptu English Debate (HPDU Cup format)

• Team composition: 3 members per team (Leader, Member, Whip)

• Team registration: 3–5 members per team

  • Teams with more than 4 registered members may substitute players between rounds (special rule for Saitama).

  • Further details about member registration will be provided after the application deadline.

• Preparation time: 20 minutes from the announcement of the motion to the start of the debate.

• Speech time limits:

  • Leader: 5 minutes

  • Member: 5 minutes

  • Whip: 5 minutes

  • Reply: 4 minutes (given by either the Leader or Member)

• Points of Information (POI): Allowed during regular speeches but not in reply speeches.

7. Eligibility

• High school students enrolled in schools located in Saitama Prefecture (including international students, returnees, and students with foreign nationalities).

• There is no limit on the number of teams per school.
  Note: If there are too many participants, the number of teams per school may be restricted.

• No judge provision is required. However, accompanying teachers may be requested to assist if there is a high number of participants.

8. Participation Fee

Free of charge (No participation fee will be collected this year).

9. Schedule

8:30 AM　Venue Opens

8:50–9:25　Opening

9:35–11:05　Round 1

11:15–12:45　Round 2

12:45–1:30　Lunch Break

1:30–3:00　Round 3

3:10–4:40　Round 4

5:00–5:30　Closing

10. Required Items

Lunch, indoor shoes, stopwatch (smartphones not allowed), dictionaries, notebooks, etc.

11. How to Apply

Please access the following URL to complete the application form:
Application Form for the 14th HPDU Cup Saitama Prefecture Competition 2025

• Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 7:00 PM

12. Inquiries

For questions, feel free to contact us through this form:
Inquiry Form

13. Additional Notes

• Please cooperate in taking all garbage home.

• Electronic devices (e.g., tablets with internet capabilities) cannot be used for research during preparation or debates. However, paper materials are allowed.

• For any tardiness or absences on the competition day, please notify HPDU Amagai. (Contact information will be provided after registration.)