QatarDebate Centre fetes graduates of pioneer programme

QatarDebate Centre, an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, has celebrated, in collaboration with the University of Ez-Zitouna and the Higher Institute of Islamic Sciences in Tunis, the graduation of the first cohort of students from the Master’s Programme in the Art of Debate in Comparative Jurisprudence.The centre said in a press statement Monday that this pioneering academic programme is the result of a partnership between QatarDebate and the University of Ez-Zitouna.It presents a unique model that bridges the authenticity of Islamic education with the modern disciplines of debate, critical thinking, and intellectual inquiry.Officially launched in October 2022, the programme stands as the first academic programme of its kind in the Arab and Islamic world to revive the art of debate within a specialised framework that integrates comparative jurisprudence and the humanities.The inaugural cohort comprised 20 male and female students from various countries.Over the course of two academic years, participants engaged in a rigorous curriculum that encompassed the study of comparative jurisprudence, the principles of debate, critical thinking, and philosophy.The programme included hands-on training, research projects, and culminated in a master’s thesis addressing contemporary jurisprudential issues.On this occasion, QatarDebate communications director Reem al-Musallam expressed her delight at the graduation of the first cohort of the Master’s Programme in the Art of Debate, describing it as the product of a solid academic partnership with the University of Ez-Zitouna.She remarked that this graduating class represented the beginning of an ambitious vision to revive the art of debate within an Islamic framework.Al-Musallam also expressed the hope that the graduates would go on to serve as ambassadors of knowledge, dialogue, and creativity.University of Ez-Zitouna president Prof Abdel Latif Bouazizi voiced his pride in the achievement, noting that the graduation marked the success of a shared vision that combined the depth of Islamic heritage with the principles of contemporary dialogue.He emphasised the university’s pride in serving as a launchpad for a new generation of scholars capable of addressing modern challenges with authentic thought and modern tools.The programme, which has been officially accredited by Tunisia’s ministry of higher education and scientific research, represents a cornerstone of QatarDebate’s broader vision to elevate the status of the Arabic language, enrich educational programmes that foster dialogue, and reintegrate traditional Islamic arts into higher education curricula.With the graduation of its first cohort, the programme is now moving forward to welcome new groups of students from across the globe, those eager to shape their academic and professional futures by integrating heritage with methodology and contributing to the pressing issues of the Muslim world through the tools of argumentation and structured debate.