Global Debate Network
The Bard Debate Union began the work of building an international debate network in 2014 when we started working with faculty at Smolny College in St. Petersburg, Russia. After this exciting relationship and opportunity for collaboration began, the Bard Debate Union began working with faculty members and students at several of Bard’s international partner institutions – Al Quds Bard (Abu Dis, Palestine), the American University of Central Asia (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan), Bard College Berlin (Berlin, Germany), Central European University (Budapest, Hungary), and European Humanities University (Vilnius, Lithuania) – to build and support debate programming and networking. Given the tremendous success of and excitement about debate throughout Bard’s international network, we officially launched the OSUN Global Debate Network in January of 2020, through which we are now working with colleges and universities all over the world!
Open Society University Network
The Open Society University Network, founded by Bard College and Central European University, envisions a new model of global higher education—a long-lasting network with deep partnerships among diverse institutions committed to addressing global challenges collaboratively. The OSUN Global Debate Network brings together students, faculty, and staff from across the OSUN Network who have an interest in academic debate – organizing public debates, participating in competitive debate activities, conducting debate outreach work, and using debates in the classroom. The goal of the network is to support the development and growth of debate programming on network campuses while creating meaningful pathways of exchange and collaboration between and among them. Network programming includes: online debates for students, online trainings and workshops for faculty, as well as annual in-person conferences for both students and faculty. With a focus on public debates, curricular debate initiatives, and debate outreach work, the OSUN Global Debate Network aims to re-conceptualize the role and function of a university debate program – to position debate not just as an extracurricular activity but as a centerpiece of higher education. Ultimately, the OSUN Global Debate Network aims to open up space for discussion and debate about difficult topics on college and university campuses across the globe, thereby supporting the formation, consolidation, and preservation of open societies in an age of increasing specialization in higher education and polarizing ideological divides in the public sphere.
Learn more about the Open Society University Network here.
