The Netherlands Report to 2002 Worlds Council

At the 2002 Worlds Council countries were invited to submit a report to the council to let other nations know about debating in their country.  It was not compulsory but a number of nations gave reports.

The Netherlands Report to 2002 Worlds Council

Debating societies in the Netherlands are found at Universiteiten (where you study for a Masters) and Hogescholen (where you study for a Bachelors). There are also non-student debating societies, usually associated with youth sections of political parties.

Masters institutions always have the word Universiteit in their name. Bachelors institutions are called HBO, HEAO or HTS (always with the "H" of Hogeschool at the beginning of the acronym).

Advanced degrees for can be a Masters (either fulltime or parttime at an Universiteit) or a PhD (also at an Universiteit). A law degree is a standard Masters. After you finish Universiteit, you have to pass the bar exam through the law firm where you work. These people are *not* students, they are considered lawyers. The bar exam is not connected to any university institution, it is connected to the Bar Society. I have never met a PhD student at any debating society in the Netherlands, but it might happen in future.

There is currently only one Universiteit (and no Hogescholen) with more than 1 debating society. The Universiteit is the one of Leiden, where the two largest fraternities (Minerva and Augustinus) have their own debating societies. Minerva normally debates abroad as "Leiden" and Augustinus hardly ever debates abroad.

At other universities, debating societies are not linked to fraternities or student unions. They are independent student societies. There are law faculties with their own moot court competitions, but that is considered entirely separate from debating. At present Amsterdam has one debating society, but there are two Universiteiten. So it is conceivable that eventually a second debating society will be founded.

Edwin Mulensteen