A group of 10 university and high school students left Qatar yesterday to participate in the latest Doha Debate to be held in Georgetown University in Washington DC. The event on March 25 will be the first Doha Debate to be held in the US. A spokesman said the students will spend a week in the US capital learning more about that country’s politics, education and culture. “They will visit the state department, Capitol Hill, the White House and other local attractions. They will also meet faculty members and students at Georgetown University to learn more about student life at one of America’s leading universities.” Assma al-Adawi, a final year Qatari student at Georgetown School of Foreign Service Qatar, said: “I am excited to go to Washington DC at this point of time, especially so soon after the election of President Obama. I’m interested in speaking with fellow students who are based at the main Georgetown campus and hear their views on the Middle East and how they perceive us.” The trip is being organised by the Doha Debates, a member of Qatar Foundation. In celebration of the Doha Debate at Georgetown University, the Doha Debates team is also organising a VIP reception at the prestigious Newseum on March 26 where the students will have the opportunity to meet with top US politicians, policy makers and leading figures in Washington’s business, media and academic circles. Ali Willis, the series producer of the Doha Debates said: “These students are a diverse group of different nationalities from different schools and universities across Qatar whose common thread is a demonstrated passion for debating. We hope this trip will be a rich learning experience for them and in return, they will be wonderful ambassadors for the Doha Debates, Qatar Foundation and for Qatar itself”. This will be the third Doha Debate to be held abroad since it started in 2004. Previous overseas debates were held at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the UK and both times a group of student debaters accompanied the production team. http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=280215&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

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