Future Ethicist Shield
Following three years of success hosting the NI regional of the Ethics Cup competition, Queen's University Belfast are this year launching an alternative, terminal, sister competition: The Future Ethicist Shield.
Aimed at pupils in years 12-14, the FEC is an ethics-based, debating competition that tests pupils' abilities to reason critically, to construct and communicate well-structured answers to ethical problems, and to deliberate respectfully with their opponent. No background in philosophy/ethics is necessary and full training for schools will be provided.
This year's competition is taking place on Monday 9th December and will take place on campus. Please contact Suzanne Whitten (suzanne.whitten@qub.ac.uk) if you are interested in taking part.
For answers to some common FAQs on the competition, please see below:
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When and where will the competition be held?
The competition will be held on Monday 9th December in the Peter Froggatt Centre (PFC), on the Queen's University Belfast main campus.
Registration will begin in the PFC Foyer at 9.30am. The first matches will start at 10am.
Lunch will take place between 12pm-1pm and will be provided by the University.
To enter the competition, please contact Suzanne Whitten (suzanne.whitten@qub.ac.uk).
- How many people can I have in each team?
Each school can bring ten pupils on the day, though only 3-5 can be put forward for each match. Schools must select pupils to be put forward for the match before the case has been announced on the screen.
Pupils can range from Y12-14.
- How will the tournament be structured?
Matches begin at 10am and we aim to finish the last match between 3-4.
The match structure can be found here: Match Structure Future Ethicist Shield.
Matches will run between 10-2 with a one-hour break for lunch. The four teams will the highest number of points will take part in the final and runner-up final. Each team is guaranteed between 2-4 matches, depending on how far they make it through the competition.
- Where can I find the case set for 2024?
The case set for 2024 can be found here: Case Set Future Ethicist Shield
- Is training available for teams?
We can provide in-person training (on match format and general debating skills) for schools in the Belfast area. Online training can be provided for those further afield.
Links to additional learning resources can be found here: Future Ethicist Shield Resources