Parliamentary Debate World Conference & Competition
Event Overview
This is an international cultural exchange competition between selected Japanese high school students and high school students from several countries around the world through parliamentary debates conducted in English.
(Participants: 3 students and 1 teacher from each school: 4 students in total)
High school students of the same generation with diverse cultural backgrounds will acquire the ability to play an active role in international society in the future.
PDWC Purpose
This event has the following aims:
Foster lifelong friendships between high school students from Japan and around the world through debate, encouraging the exchange of diverse ideas and laying the foundation for global peace.
Promote mutual understanding and respect for the history and culture of different regions, embracing diversity with joy.
Provide international students from around the world with the opportunity to experience Japan, encouraging them to share Japanese culture and traditions with the world.
Message from the Founder
This year marks the landmark 10th anniversary of PDWC.
This milestone has only been made possible by the connections—
"kizuna" in Japanese—we have built with all those who have supported us over the years, and we extend our heartfelt thanks.
Many high school students who have participated in PDWC have built lasting connections, and even after 10 years, these connections continue to thrive, which deeply moves us.
We hope many more of you will join us this year to share in this special time. All of our staff are sincerely looking forward to meeting you.
Kazuko Nakadai
President, PDWC
Chair, WakuPro Foundation
Partner Organization
Debate Mate works with our charitable programme Debate Mate Schools to deliver its programmes. Debate Mate Schools is an educational charity that uses the brightest university students to run after-school debate clubs in areas of high child poverty across the world. Over the last nine years, we have successfully taught over 25,000 young people to debate in the UK, USA, Jamaica, Nepal, Dubai, Doha, Mexico, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, China, Japan, Korea and Israel.
Margaret McCabe
Barrister-at-Law
CEO & Founder
Team Members
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Kazuko Nakadai
President, PDWC
Chair, WakuPro Foundation
Shigemi Sugita
Vice-president, PDWC
Director, WakuPro Foundation
Saitama Prefectural Assembly Member
Chairman of the board, Heritage Resort Tokinoyu Onsen, Takane K.K
Chris Clayton
Staff
Anna Feher
Staff
Setsuka Miyakawa
Staff
Nour Cherif
Staff
Jai Katene
Staff
Skip Swanson
Advisor
Michelle Gray
Advisor
Apply to Join PDWC
PDWC 2026 Debate Conference Application Guidelines
Requirements to Participate
We accept applications from schools that meet the following criteria:
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Can commit to participation on all scheduled days of the program.
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Will nominate students who are enthusiastic about engaging with peers from around the world.
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Will select students who have a strong interest in learning about debate.
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For overseas schools: Selected students must hold a valid passport by Monday, September 30
Application period:
Sunday, June 1 – Sunday, August 31, 2025
Number of schools recruited: 5 schools from Japan and 5 schools from outside Japan (total 10 schools)
Team Composition: 1 team consists of 3 students and 1 accompanying teacher, totaling 4 members.
Mixed gender and grade levels are acceptable (but only for enrolled students).
International/exchange students are not eligible to participate.
How to Apply
Fill in the below application form under 'Apply as a School' with the following details:
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School Name
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Participating Students (3 students):
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Full Name
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Date of Birth
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Gender
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Accompanying Teacher:
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Full Name
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Date of Birth
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Gender
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Contact Information (Email and Phone)
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Short Video (about 1 minute self-introduction per participant). Please refer to the application form for more details.
Important Notes
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Changes to participants after the selection is finalized are in principle not accepted.
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Applications must be submitted by the accompanying teacher only.
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Please obtain the principal's consent before applying.
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Once participation is confirmed, please ensure smooth communication with WakuPro, including the submission of required documents.
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For students with severe allergies or health conditions that are difficult to manage independently, please consult us before applying.
Attend as an observer
You're warmly welcome to join us as an observer. Details will be available here closer to the event date.
