Winners will represent Hong Kong in an exchange programme at the Oxford University

Competition Awards

All participating students and teacher-in-charges will receive a Certificate of Commendation.
Each division will have:
- 1 Champion
- 1 First Runner-up
- 2 Second Runner-ups
Students from the winning teams will additionally receive a trophy.
The Best Debater in the Grand Final will receive an additional Certificate of Commendation and a trophy. Best Debaters in other rounds will receive an additional Certificate of Commendation.
The winning teams in the English Division will represent Hong Kong in an exchange programme at the Oxford University.

Eligibility

Participating schools must be secondary schools or international schools registered with the Education Bureau. Each school may send a maximum of 2 teams (one Chinese Division team and one English Division team). All participants must be current students of the participating school.
Each participating school must:
- Appoint at least one qualified teacher (preferably with experience in debate, Liberal Studies, or language teaching) to serve as an adjudicator for Preliminary Rounds 1 to 3.
- Provide at least one day of competition venue, including classrooms or a school hall.
- Propose three debate motions for consideration by the organizer.
Once a teacher nominated by a participating school is confirmed and assigned by the organizer to serve as an adjudicator on a designated date, the teacher must attend on time. If unable to attend, the school must notify the organizer at least three days before the competition and arrange a substitute teacher to serve as adjudicator.
Each team must consist of 4 to 10 members, including 3 main speakers and 1 to 7 reserve members.
Each team must be led by one teacher, who will serve as the liaison between the team and the organizer.

Competition Format

The competition consists of a Chinese Division and an English Division. All matches will be conducted in Cantonese or English respectively.
The competition will adopt a single-elimination format. Winning teams in each round will advance to the next stage.
Match schedules and debate motions will be determined by the organizer. Participating teams may not object to or alter these arrangements. The affirmative and negative sides will be assigned by lot drawn by the organizer.
Late arrival and absence policy: Any team arriving 15 minutes late or more on the competition day will be disqualified, and their opponent will automatically advance.
The organizer reserves the right to appoint adjudicators, consultants, and chairpersons for the competition.

Competition Rules

Debate motions and competition details for each round will be published on the official website seven days before the match. Participating teams are responsible for checking the website.
Competition results will be announced on the same day. Any disputes must be raised before the announcement of results. Late appeals will not be accepted. As disputes may affect competition outcomes, the organizer reserves the right to postpone the announcement of results.
The decisions of the adjudicators and the organizer are final. Requests for review or appeal of results will not be entertained.

English Division Competition Schedule

Preliminary Round 1: 9 January 2027 (Saturday)
Preliminary Round 2: 23 January 2027 (Saturday)
Preliminary Round 3: 20 February 2027 (Saturday)
Quarter-final: 6 March 2027 (Saturday)
Semi-final: 20 March 2027 (Saturday)
Final: 27 March 2027 (Saturday)

Note: Match schedules and debate motions are determined by the organizer. Participating teams may not object to or alter them. The organizer reserves the right to adjust competition dates with prior notice.

Speaking Rules

Each debate consists of an Affirmative Team and a Negative Team, with three speakers on each side:
- Lead Speaker
- First Deputy Speaker
- Second Deputy Speaker
One of the speakers will also serve as the Closing Speaker.
The speaking order is as follows:
- Affirmative Lead Speaker: 4 minutes
- Negative Lead Speaker: 4 minutes
- Affirmative First Deputy Speaker: 3 minutes
- Negative First Deputy Speaker: 3 minutes
- Affirmative Second Deputy Speaker: 3 minutes
- Negative Second Deputy Speaker: 3 minutes
- Free Debate Session (applicable only from the Quarter-final Playoff to the Final; 2.5 minutes per side): 5 minutes
- Preparation for Closing Statements: 1 minute
- Negative Closing Speaker: 4 minutes
- Affirmative Closing Speaker: 4 minutes
During speeches, debaters may use cue cards not exceeding 15.6 cm × 9.5 cm. The Chairperson will inspect the cue cards before the competition. If the size exceeds the permitted dimensions, adjudicators may impose score deductions at their discretion. Debaters may bring books, reference materials, and electronic devices to the venue; however, these items are strictly prohibited on stage during the debate.

Entry Fee

HK$500 per school team (per division)

Registration Method

Participants should complete the registration form and email it together with proof of payment to admin@hkitdc.org.

The organizer, Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development & Cultivation Centre, will confirm registration within three working days and will email the payment receipt in reply.

Payment Methods

Credit Card Payment
- Complete the registration form and make payment online directly.
Bank Transfer or Cheque
- Please transfer the payment or deposit a cheque into the following bank account:
- Crossed cheques should be made payable to “Hong Kong Innovation Technology Development Centre Company”.
HSBC Bank
Account Number: 004-741-282636-001
(If the account number cannot be found through ATM transfer, please try entering 741-282636-001.)

Important Notes

By participating in this competition, participants acknowledge and agree that photography, video recording, and audio recording may take place during the event. The Hong Kong Innovation Technology Development Centre reserves the right to use photographs, videos, audio recordings, and other media materials captured at the event and competition venues for publicity, publication, promotion, and other related purposes without prior notice or compensation.
Participants who do not wish to be photographed or recorded should inform event staff upon arrival. The Centre will respect participants’ privacy and make reasonable efforts to avoid featuring them in individual close-up photographs or videos.
Schools wishing to observe competition matches must submit a viewing application by email at least 5 working days before the competition date. Approval will be subject to factors including the host school’s arrangements and venue capacity. The primary consideration will be ensuring that the competition proceeds without disruption to participating schools.
Information collected will be used solely for competition registration, communications, and arrangements related to the competition. All personal data will be kept strictly confidential and will only be accessible to the Hong Kong Innovation Technology Development Centre and authorized personnel for relevant purposes. Participants have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal data.
If any of the following circumstances occur on the competition day, all matches scheduled for that day (including afternoon sessions) will be postponed:
- The Hong Kong Observatory maintains Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above two hours before the competition begins, or announces that such signal will remain in force.
- The Black Rainstorm Warning Signal remains in effect two hours before the competition begins.
- The Government issues an “Extreme Conditions” announcement related to severe weather.
Hong Kong Innovation Technology Development Centre shall not be liable for any losses, damages, or additional expenses incurred as a result of the above circumstances.
If any of the following circumstances arise during the competition, the organizer reserves the right to suspend or terminate the event:
- The Hong Kong Observatory announces that Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above or the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal will be issued within the next two hours.
- The Government issues an “Extreme Conditions” announcement related to severe weather.
Hong Kong Innovation Technology Development Centre shall not be liable for any losses, damages, or additional expenses incurred as a result.
Hong Kong Innovation Technology Development Centre shall not be responsible for any personal injury, accidents, loss of property, or property damage occurring during the event.
For any disputes or disagreements arising out of or in connection with this debate competition, the Hong Kong Innovation Technology Development Centre reserves the right of final decision, and such decisions shall be final and binding.