The 2008 Spring Seminar, hosted by the Japanese Parliamentary Debating Union (JPDU) from 29 February until 2 March 2008, was an excellent and highly successful programme.Four Australian coaches were funded by the Australia-Japan Foundation to attend the Spring Seminar. Nicole Lynch, Fiona Prowse, Jacob Clifton and Ivan Ah Sam, travelled to Tokyo and ran classes during the three days for over 150 Japanese university and high school debaters.
As well as providing an intensive opportunity for accelerated learning in debating, facilitiated through seminars and practice debates, the Spring Seminar provided a unique opportunity for cross-cultural exchange.
One coach said about the program:
"Japanese debaters are the most dedicated and hardest working debaters I have come across in my training career. They are extremely diligent and attentive during classes and it is a pleasure to work with them during the
Seminar."
We look forward to working with JPDU and the Australia-Japan Foundation in the future.
