Mahidol University International College (MUIC) sparked a new flame among university debaters by hosting the MUIC-Chulalongkorn Open University Novice Tournament (M-COUNT) on November 1-2, 2025.

Participants and judges from five institutions of higher learning, namely, MUIC, Chulalongkorn University, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Rangsit University, and Thammasat University, to clash in friendly debate and enjoy camaraderie at MUIC’s Aditayathorn Building.

M-COUNT was conceived as an entirely grassroots project by the MUIC Debate Club, along with assistance from the Chulalongkorn English Debate Society. The tournament was intended for debate novices who had never yet participated in official debate events. “It has been a great pleasure seeing so many new students interested in learning debate, and even competing with their new skills!” said Krittiya Sagaekhao, Debate Club President. “Of course, this couldn’t have happened without the many MUIC and Chulalongkorn teams who have worked hard to ensure the tournament’s success!”

Among the top teams was the MUIC pair of Krittika Luangyot and Thanchanok Thaikuea, whose debate journey only started a few weeks before, when they began attending sessions at the start of the 1^st Trimester. On their newfound success, Thanchanok had the following to say, “I never expected to do so well, especially because I only decided to go at the last minute! I definitely feel more confident after our performance.” Krittika and Thanchanok both achieved Top 10 speaker awards after narrowly being eliminated in the semi-finals round.

The topics for the finals were as thrilling as they were complex, involving deep discussions on feminism, technology, and the future of development. Ultimately, “Team Whatever” was declared the Open Finals Champion, along with their fellow Chulalongkorn team “CUL8R” as the Novice Finals Champion.

M-COUNT’s participation was a special point of pride for the organizers. Every aspect of the tournament, from adjudication, volunteer assistance, tabulation, administrative tasks, and debate participation were composed entirely of university members who graciously offered their time for free.

The club officer expressed their sincere thanks to all those who devoted their hours, efforts, and skills into making this tournament the best it could be.

List of Awardees
1. Thanchanok Thaikuea, CDP Freshman, 2^nd Best Open Speaker, Breaking 4^th Open
2. Krittika Luangyot, Biomedical Science Freshman (MU), 5^th Best Open Speaker, Breaking 4^th Open
3. Jason Tyler Phillips, CDP Freshman, Breaking 2^nd Novice
4. Naruetham Hanphanit, ICMF Freshman, Breaking 2^nd Novice