At just 20 years old, Darin Mansurbeg has earned international recognition for representing Denmark in international competitions all over the world, winning numerous awards along the way.
“I started debating in my second year of high school after my English teacher encouraged me to apply for the national debate team. At the time, I had no prior experience, but I decided to submit an application and, to my surprise, I was accepted onto the junior national team,” Mansurbeg told Kurdistan Chronicle.
“Normally, you’re expected to remain on the junior team for a full year before being promoted to the senior team. However, after just a few months, I was promoted early. I went on to debate as a senior for the national team for the next two years of high school, and I now compete at the university level.”
Mansurbeg is currently a first-semester medical student at the University of Copenhagen, with aspirations of becoming a neurosurgeon.
“One of the highlights of my debate journey was attending my first-ever in-person tournament at Harvard University. I flew to Boston to represent Denmark and won an individual speaker award,” he said.
“I was ranked as the top Danish team and top speaker at Scandinavia’s most prestigious tournament, the Copenhagen Open. Additionally, I was a finalist at a tournament hosted by Warwick University, where I debated – and won – against teams from prestigious universities like Oxford.”
Mansurbeg has represented Denmark at international competitions all over the world, including in Vietnam, Serbia, the Czech Republic, the United States, the UK, and Latvia. “In Latvia, I won the entire tournament and received a diploma for Best Speaker of the tournament,” he said. “During my time on the national team, I’ve also debated and won against several national teams, including Lithuania, Israel, Germany, Italy, and many others.
In addition to competing, Mansurbeg has worked with the EU as a representative of Danish debating on international projects aimed at developing programs and resources to help teachers across Europe introduce and teach debating in their classrooms.
In the Kurdistan Region, regular debate events are held between universities and other organizations. For example, on April 28, the Kurdistan Foundation organized the Kurdistan Debate in partnership with the Qatar Foundation and QatarDebate.
Mansurbeg shared a message for the youth of Kurdistan who are interested in debate. “Debate is more than just arguing. It’s about learning to think critically, speak confidently, and listen with an open mind. No matter where you come from or what resources you have, your voice matters. I encourage you to step into the world of debating, not just to compete, but to grow, to learn, and to shape the future of our communities. The skills you develop through debate can empower you to stand up for what you believe in and to lead with clarity and purpose.”
Wladimir van Wilgenburg is a seasoned reporter and analyst who specializes in Kurdish affairs, and holds a Master’s degree in Kurdish studies from Exeter University, UK.
