Debate tournaments have been a very common extracurricular activity for years. In recent years, business case competitions have also been increasingly popular. But the Independent Marketers' Association (IMA), a club of Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), thought of taking a different approach. They organised an Intra Business Debate competition, called 'Clash of BizWords'. It was a unique opportunity for the students of IUB to explore and understand the different dynamics of the business world. The participants were able to showcase their depth of knowledge as well as to build upon their speaking and argumentation skills through this competition.
The competition took off on November 26 with 32 teams from different departments of IUB. After three preliminary rounds followed by a quarter-final and semi-final round, the two teams that made it to the grand final were team Mission 12K, comprising Sarfaraj Mehrab Ahmed, Nuha Zareen, Anisa Mumtahina Dewan, and team All-Star, comprising Wasi Chowdhury, Tanfia Khan Disha, Tanvir Rahman. Extraordinary articulation skills along with solid teamwork helped these two teams reach the final. The grand final took place at IUB's own campus on December 01, 2022. For the final battle, the teams were asked to debate on the motion, "This House Believes that during times of famine the market leaders should work under a single entity instead of operating privately". After a very competitive round of debate, team All-Star was titled the champion of Clash of BizWords.
What does it take to win: Tanvir from team All-Star said, "Teamwork and communication were the major strengths of our team. Since we knew each other for quite some time, it was easy for us to coordinate and pull off the tournament." The team not only focused on debating but also made sure to enjoy the tournament. "In the final round, we had a lot of fun. Debating along and against our peers and the post-debate discussions were some of the most enjoyable moments," remarked Tanfia. The last key to their success was their other team-mate, Wasi, who has been training this team for the last couple of other tournaments. Team All-Star wishes to keep their bonding intact and participate in future competitions as well.
Speaking about the finalist teams, the judge of the grand final, Adib Faisal said, "The teams in the final round of this tournament had some very good debaters. And the high-quality motions on top of that made the debate thoroughly enjoyable." This clearly portrays how talented the teams were. "The final debate was so close that we had to take some time to decide who the winner should be," Adib added.
The organiser's journey: Being in the back seat and organising a competition is never an easy task. "We had various kinds of challenges in our way. Getting sponsors, managing our event partners, and ensuring a good pool of judges in such a short time, were some of the major difficulties prior to the event," stated Raseen Raihan, the director of Execution of IUB IMA. "On top of these hurdles, we also had severe academic pressure since we're near the end of the semester," he added. Despite all these challenges, the members and directors of IUB IMA took on the challenge to make this event a success. They made sure to keep no stone unturned to ensure that the event was worthwhile for the participants.
"Initially we were unsure about a lot of things since this was a new initiative on our campus. But to our surprise, we received an overwhelming response from IUBians," said Trishadh Goni, director of Ideation of IUB IMA. Trishadh believes that the secret to their success is the unmatched teamwork of the club members. "This is just the beginning of our journey. We want to achieve newer heights from IUB IMA," he added with an air of confidence.
What's next for IUB IMA: This event was a practice ground for the IMA team as well as the students of IUB to prepare themselves for a bigger stage. "It was the first experience of organising a debate competition for many of the club members. Yet the team managed to tackle the challenges on their way," stated Sheikh Mohammad Fauzul Azim, the club mentor of IUB IMA. "Following the success of this event, we are planning to organise even bigger and better competitions in the coming days. Alongside competitions, IUB IMA is also looking forward to bringing industry-academia collaboration, especially in the business and marketing field.
The prize-giving ceremony of the competition was held on December 08. The Dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship of IUB, Professor Dr Meherun Ahmed, handed over the prize to the champion and runners-up team. The club co-ordinator of IUB IMA, Abul Khair Jyote, shared his closing remarks saying, "The passion for debating among all the participants was clearly evident. The organisers worked really hard amidst their academic pressure." "I am really proud of you all. Your dedication made this event a successful one," he added, followed by a round of applause and cheers coming from everyone present in the venue. With that, curtains dropped at IUB to mark the end of Clash of BizWords.
The writer is a third-year BBA student at IBA, Dhaka University.
mohtasim.binhabib@gmail.com