Asian World Schools Debating Championship
July 29 – August 2, 2025, Bangkok, Thailand
64 teams from over 20 countries

A team of five students from High Tech Academy took part in the Asian World Schools Debating Championship held in Bangkok. The tournament brought together students from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

In the preliminary rounds, HTA won two debates — against South Africa and India — and lost to teams from China and Korea.

The tournament was an important step in the team’s development and provided valuable international experience. Two students were recognized in the novice speaker category:
— Sofi Kozhevnikova — 2nd Best Novice Speaker
— Daniya Toksan — ranked in the Top 10 Best Novice Speakers.

On March 1–2, 2025, the international debate tournament Turan International Schools Debating Championship (TISDC-25) was held in Almaty at Turan University. The event brought together over 150 speakers from 9 countries. The HTA Eagles team emerged victorious, becoming the tournament champions, while the HTA Phoenix team reached the semifinals, winning all five preliminary rounds. This was the first victory for our teams in the season and marked an important step towards further successes.

From January 18 to 20, 2025, the Eurasian Schools Debating Championship took place in Istanbul, with over 300 speakers from 20 countries participating. For HTA teams, this was their first international experience. The HTA Sharks team secured three victories in the preliminary rounds, while the HTA Snow Leopards team won two preliminary rounds. The tournament provided a valuable opportunity for practice and receiving feedback from international judges, which supported our teams in subsequent tournaments of the season.
These achievements were the result of not only hard work and preparation but also of our debaters' commitment to development and improvement. We are proud of their successes and confident that new victories and achievements await them.

HTA students made history by becoming the first team from Kazakhstan to win an international debate tournament.

We are proud to announce the achievements of HTA debate teams at the Shanghai Speech and Debate Invitational held on May 3–4, 2025 at Nord Anglia Shanghai International School, China. The tournament featured over 450 speakers from six Asian countries. Through persistence, dedication, intensive preparation, and exceptional persuasiveness, our students excelled on the international stage.

HTA Onyx – Tournament Champions!
The HTA Onyx team delivered inspiring results, securing five victories in the preliminary rounds and confidently advancing through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals to claim the championship title. This marks the first victory by a Kazakhstani team at an international debate tournament, laying the groundwork for future successes not only for our school but also for our country.

HTA Dragons – Semifinalists with Unyielding Spirit
The HTA Dragons team also showcased impressive public speaking skills, creativity, and determination throughout the tournament. They reached the semifinals after winning four out of five preliminary rounds and delivering a strong performance in the quarterfinals.

In the individual achievement category, Grade 10A students Amina Kekilova, Jasmin Tulenova, and Alen Begimbetov ranked among the top 10 speakers of the tournament. Their performance highlighted smooth collaboration and remarkable individual debating skills.

HTA coach Alikhan Kazenov was invited to the tournament as an independent judge. Following his adjudication, he passed the judges' break and was selected to judge the final rounds in the British Parliamentary format.

Congratulations to our coach and club participants—we are proud of you!