Trust for Sustainable Living

Students from Nigeria and UAE Take Top Honours at TSL International Schools Debates

in

Uwhetu Obadiah-Frankin (Chrisland High School Abuja, Nigeria) collected the Best Individual award at the 2016 Secondary Schools Debate on 19th April. Uwhetu (centre) is pictured here on a tour of Dubai Sustainable City with her Teacher Champion (right) and mother.

Uwhetu Obadiah-Franklin, from Nigeria, and Salma Reda, from the United Arab Emirates, overtook stiff competition from more than 120 students from across 17 countries to win their respective age groups in the 2016 TSL International Schools Debates earlier this week.

Secondary Schools Debate

Best Individual:

Uwhetu Obadiah-Franklin (Chrisland High School Abuja, Nigeria)

Special Commendations (Individual):

Ingo Aelbers (JESS Arabian Ranches, UAE)
Daniel Shao (Reading School, UK)
Ganesh Viswanathan (New Horizon Public School, India)

Ingo, Daniel and Ganesh celebrate!

Best Group (‘Mahogany’):

Hamna Maqsood (Aldiyafah High School, UAE), Jamie Barratt (JESS Arabian Ranches, UAE), Abigail Mary Claire F. Ablang and Maria Janine Juachon (Philippine Science High School Central Luzon Campus, Philippines), Ambarish Suresh (Abu Dhabi Indian School, UAE), Advay Mohindra (British School Al Khubairat, UAE), Aaditya Singh (Delhi Private School Sharjah, UAE) and Sara Iuliana Baroi (Scoala Gimnaziala ‘Iordache Cantacuzino’, Romania)

The Best Group medalists were the ‘Mahogany’ team!

TSL Masdar Ambassadors (selected spokespeople at Masdar City)

Aninthitha Baburamanathan (Toc H Public School, India)
J’Nae Peart (Imaculate Conception High School, Jamaica)
Aaditya Singh (Delhi Private School Sharjah, UAE)
Olivia Zukowski (Wantagh High School, USA)

Primary Schools Debate

Best Individual:

Salma Reda (Jumeirah Primary School, UAE)

Special Commendations (Individual):        

Veda Fernandes (Jumeirah Primary School, UAE)
Sabine Khaled (International College, Lebanon)
Jonathan-David Cordonier Segger (King’s College School, UK)

Special Commendation winners in the Primary Schools Category

Best Group (‘Businesses’):

Mircea Godiac (Scoala ELF, Romania), Sophia Arthur and Adam Whittaker (JESS Jumeirah, UAE), Kian Farias, Malaika Hassan and Celine Naude (Jumeirah Primary School, UAE) and Joshua Killa and Tess Ruddell (JESS Arabian Ranches).

The best primary school group was the business!

TSL Masdar Ambassadors (selected spokespeople at Masdar City)

Muddha Dewaskar (Panini Jnanpeeth EngMedHR Secondary School, India)
Kian Farias (Jumeirah Primary School, UAE)
Sabine Khaled (International College, Lebanon)
Salma Reda (Jumeirah Primary School, UAE)

Hosted in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from April 18th  to April 19th, the 5th International TSL Schools Debates featured students from more than 50 institutions around the world.

Karl Hansen, Executive Director of the Trust for Sustainable Living, said:

“As more than two-thirds of the global population are expected to live in cities by 2050, it’s important that we all consider their future development.  However, with so few real-life examples of sustainable cities working today, it begs the question ‘Are Sustainable Cities Possible?’.  The topic resonated with the students competing during the debates earlier this week, which culminated in some extremely well argued group debating sessions at the end of both days.”

–      Ends –

For further information, please contact schools@livingrainforest.org

Further details on the TSL International Schools Essay Competition and Debate, including programme and registration instructions, are available at trustforsustainableliving.org/take-part/international-schools-essay-competition-and-debate.