This is the Public Policy Debate Competition, an initiative that brings together 18 teams of 5 students each. By stimulating reflection, it challenges young people to move beyond preconceived notions and to fairly and critically explore opposing points of view.

The initiative emphasizes the importance of understanding arguments for and against each policy to form informed opinions and promote the study and sharing of ideas within the context of public policy.

In its inaugural edition, the Public Policy Debate Competition brought together over 60 students from universities across Portugal, representing more than 10 nationalities. In this edition, the Faculty of Engineering – University of Porto joins the initiative and, to facilitate participation from northern teams, will host one of the initial rounds of the competition.

The first round, scheduled for January 2026, will determine the teams advancing to the semifinals and finals, which will take place between February and April 2026 at Nova SBE’s Carcavelos campus. All debates will be held in English. In the end, a total prize of €10,000 will be awarded to the top three teams.

Applications for the 2nd edition of the Public Policy Debate Competition are open until October 25. Candidates must complete the application form and submit the required documents. More information here.