The Debate and Negotiation Tournament 2025

The Negotiation and Debate Tournament aims to involve students in University activities, develop their soft skills, and encourage participation in students' scientific clubs at Lazarski University, promoting social integration. Negotiation and Debate clubs are open to new initiatives and welcome students from different universities in Warsaw, offering the opportunity to exchange unique ideas and creativity, encouraging critical and abstract thinking, and public presentations.

Purpose of the Negotiation and Debate Tournament

• Enhance communication skills: Participation in the Negotiation and Debate Tournament encourages individuals to perform the mastery of writing and verbal communication skills, and promotes concise and clear thought articulation, in a formal, persuasive style without any violation or dishonourable behaviour towards the other participants or audience;
• Develop critical and abstract thinking: Participating in Debate and Negotiation sessions requires participants to think out of the box, critically assess and analyse complex issues, build and present thorough arguments, and be able to support and defend them;
• Foster teamwork and collaboration: The Negotiation and Debate Tournament is a team-based competition, encouraging individuals to integrate with each other, develop teamwork, interpersonal communication, and conflict resolution;
• Encourage research and preparation: The Negotiation and Debate Tournament requires extensive research and preparation beforehand, prompting individuals to gather information, analyse complex concepts, build arguments, develop strategies, and create presentations;
• Promote social integration: The Negotiation and Debate Tournament invites social integration and participation, gives the opportunity to build and develop social connections, improving the public spirit of Lazarski University.

1. Organisers

The Negotiation and Debate Tournament is organised by the Presidents and the Vice-Presidents of the Negotiation Club with the support of the Lazarski Student Help Desk coordinated by Viktoriya Pak.

2. Date

The Negotiation and Debate Tournament will be held on the 31st of May 2025 from 10:00 until 18:00. The ending time of the Tournament is subject to change, and the final schedule will be communicated to all the participating individuals.

3. Location

Lazarski University, sector B, 1st floor.

Contractor

1. Conditions of Participation

• Every student from Lazarski University or other universities in Warsaw invited by the Organisers can take part in the Negotiation and Debate Tournament;
• Each participant must fill out a participation form;
• The number of participants in each team is 2 people;
• The number of participants is limited.

2. Application for the Competition

• The application for the competition is made by filling out the online form;
• Deadline: 15th May 2025, at 23:59. Late submissions will be considered invalid.
• Forms will be automatically sent to the Organisers of the event;
• If the participant does not receive a response by the 18th of May 2025, 19:00, they should send messages to emails: negotiationclub@lazarski.edu.pl, lazarskinegotiationclub@gmail.com;
• Contact persons: Alla Zapovitriana, Daria Yelisieienko, Mikołaj Samoraj; Amina Abbasova.

Rules of the Competition

1. Registration time

• Participants and the audience are obliged to come to the tournament by 10:00 AM on May 31st 2025, to the B sector, 1st floor of the Lazarski University in Warsaw;
• All teams will start the sessions at the same time;
• Any cancellations must be submitted to the email addresses negotiationclub@lazarski.edu.pl and lazarskinegotiationclub@gmail.com by May 27th, 2025, 23:59.

2. The course of the Competition

• All participants are invited to take part in either a Debate or Negotiation session (decided by a participant during the registration);
• All the sessions for each pair of teams comprised of 2 participants are held in separate rooms;
• For the Debate Part of the tournament, teams will be given a topic and required to choose a proposition (if supporting the topic given) or an opposition (if opposing the topic given) side. The two teams start the session aimed at presenting the best quality of arguments for the topic given depending on the side taken and gaining the highest number of points possible due to the style of communication and articulation, tactics and strategies used, the formality of behaviour and the general course of the debate. Each round lasts a maximum of 45 minutes, 15 minutes for the feedback of the judges;
• For the Negotiation Part of the tournament, teams are given a scenario, that should be carefully examined for a minimum of 15 minutes (the time given depends on the difficulty of the given scenario), before the session starts. Next, the two teams start the session aimed at finding the best possible deal for the scenario given and gaining the highest number of points possible due to the style of negotiating, tactics and strategies used, the formality of behaviour and the general course of the game. The session lasts for a minimum of 25 minutes (the time given depends on the difficulty of the given scenario);
• The language of communication during the event is English, and the minimal level required is B2;
• For cheating or disobeying the rules of the event the team is automatically disqualified;
• Team performance is to be judged by the honourable members of the jury;
• The audience is entitled to pronounce the Best Negotiator 2025 and the Best Debator 2025 according to the audience choice.

Settlement of the Competition

• Each performance is evaluated according to the standard Lazarski Negotion and Debate Clubs evaluation system, individually by the members of the jury after each round;
• The winning team is determined by the sum of the points received from the jury. Decisions made by the jury are final.
• From the Negotiation Part, the winner is determined by the highest sum of points gained from the scenario given, according to the point scheme in the particular scenario, and from the general features of performance given by the judges;
• In the Debate Part, the winner is determined by the highest sum of the points based on the performance given by the judges;
• The audience choice is determined by voting through the online form during the event.

Equipment

The Organisers provide all the necessary materials. All papers with the scenarios and topics of the discussion are declared 15 minutes before the games/sessions. Optionally, the participants can use their laptops, papers, etc.

Results announcement

• The announcement of the results of the competition will take place after each game/session;
• The audience choice is declared after the announcement of the winners of the final round.

Awards

• In-kind prizes are guaranteed for the first and second places winners;
• In-kind prizes are in the form of e.g.: vouchers, gift cards, packages from Lazarski University, etc.;
• All the participants receive certificates of participation in the Negotiation and Debate Tournament 2025;
• Prizes are not convertible to a cash equivalent.

Jury

Jury members are representatives of Lazarski University, guests from other Universities, or honourable experts and professionals in the fields.

Additional Information

1. Participation in the contest implies acceptance of the terms and conditions of these Regulations.
2. The Organisers reserve the right to make changes to the regulations until the closing date for the submission of entries. Any changes to the regulations will be announced by e-mail and on social media.
3. All persons who complete the form will receive e-mail notifications
4. Situations not covered by these rules shall be resolved by the Organiser of the competition.
5. The administrators of the personal data of the Tournament Participants’ are the Organisers. The Tournament Participants' data will be processed to conduct the Tournament, select and announce the winners, award, collect, and account for the prizes. Details related to the processing of personal data are contained in the Information Clause below.
6. The Organisers shall not be liable for events that prevent the proper conduct of the Tournament, which the Organisers were not able to foresee or prevent, particularly in the event of fortuitous events.
7. These Regulations are subject to announcement and publication on Lazarski University’s website: www.lazarski.pl/en.

1. The administrator of your personal data is Lazarski University with its registered office in Warsaw at 43 Swieradowska St., 02-662 Warsaw.
2. The Administrator has appointed a Data Protection Officer, who can be contacted at - iod@lazarski.edu.pl.
3. Your personal data will be processed for the purpose of participating in the Negotiation and Debate Tournament on the basis of art. 6 sec. 1 letter b - implementation and taking actions to perform the contract, and art. 6 sec. 1 letter f GDPR, the legitimate interest of ensuring contact with participants, promoting and developing science, shaping and promoting academic staff.
4. Your personal data will be stored by the Administrator for the period necessary to implement the Negotiation and Debate Tournament.
5. Your personal data may be transferred to public authorities and state offices or other entities authorized under the law. Personal data may be transferred by us to entities that support the Administrator's IT systems and provide IT tools or courier or hosting services.
6. Your personal data will not be processed in an automated manner and will not be subject to profiling.
7. You have the right to request access to your personal data from the Administrator, the right to rectify, delete or limit processing, the right to transfer data.
8. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority - the President of the Personal Data Protection Office.
9. You have the right to object, at any time, to the processing of personal data, based on art. 6 sec. 1 letter f of the GDPR.
10. Providing personal data is voluntary, but necessary to achieve the purposes for which they were collected. Failure to provide data may result in the inability to participate in the conference.
11. Your personal data will not be transferred to a third country / international organization, unless the legal obligations of the Administrator require it.