“You may be right and I may be wrong but with an effort, together we may be closer to the truth,” wrote philosopher Karl Popper (1902-1994). This thought reflects the importance of debate.

The Department of English Programs at American University of Armenia initiated the first student debates with support from the British Council in 2003; English teacher Melissa Brown has run the DEP Debate Club since 2004.

At the initial stage there were twenty members of the club but over time students from other universities have gotten involved and even created debate clubs in their own colleges. The members of the clubs now have an opportunity to communicate and debate with each other through the newly created website – www.debate.am. The site was introduced at the American University of Armenia last Friday.

“Our goal was to make the art of debate better known to our students. It is very important to encourage students to develop their critical thinking, their ability to analyze and think on their feet,” Melissa Brown said.

The debates take place every Friday during the spring and fall months, with some twenty-five meetings each year. Every student may get involved in any debate, suggest topics, and express opinions. Stepan Khzrtyan, a third-year student from the Department of Political Science at Yerevan State University has been participating in the debate club for a year now. He believes that debates develop a specific way of thinking.

“I don't look at a given question directly, but I try to view it from various angles, since it is easier to argue against the opponent from various directions. My language has become more polished, more logical, and besides I have overcome the fear of making a speech in front of the audience. These abilities make me stronger to defeat my opponents,” Stepan said.

The debate subjects vary – they relate to economic, political, philosophical issues – depending on the fund of knowledge of the participants.

The www.debate.am website was designed by third-year students from the Department of Applied Mathematics at Yerevan State University.

“Fledgling debaters might learn from the website why and how to debate. But, of course, we are unable to give all the answers; every person has to choose his or her strategy and style. The purpose of the site is not to teach the art of debating. We have just tried to put all the students who are interested in debate in touch through a virtual network,” said site co-designer Narine Manukyan.