Debate 101: CPD online course
Registration opens in Semester 2 (early 2026)
Join our engaging 3-part course designed to help alumni and students communicate with confidence.
During the workshops, you'll explore how to present with impact, navigate difficult conversations, and adapt your message to different audiences.
This virtual course will be led by world-leading communication consultancy, Debate Mate.
Workshop 1: Wednesday 18 February 2026 | 12:30 - 13:30 (GMT)
Presenting with impact
Transform how you approach presentations, with proven frameworks for structuring compelling arguments and tips and techniques for managing challenging moments. Practice with real world scenarios and receive immediate feedback from Debate Mate facilitators.
Skills developed:
- Structuring arguments for maximum clarity
- Balancing emotional and logical appeals
- Persuasive presenting for influence and impact
- Responding calmly and coherently to challenges or disruptions in the moment
Workshop 2: Wednesday 25 February 2026 | 12:30 - 13:30 (GMT)
Facilitating Constructive Conversations
Learn to navigate disagreement, build consensus and transform conflict into productive problem-solving opportunities.
Skills developed:
- Techniques for de-escalation and finding common ground
- Active listening and empathetic communication
- Offering, and responding to, challenges and objections in a constructive way
- How to communicate across ideological divides
Workshop 3: Wednesday 4 March 2026 | 12:30 - 13:30 (GMT)
Mastering the Message
Learn to adapt your message for different audiences and contexts, and develop sophisticated stakeholder engagement skills through strategic communication practice.
Skills developed:
- Adapting your communication style to different contexts
- Framing information strategically for diverse audiences
- Identifying, and leveraging, stakeholder interests and priorities
About Debate Mate
Debate Mate is a world-leading communication consultancy, delivering training, events, and digital tools that enable people to speak well and disagree better.
Since 2015, Debate Mate has worked with over 100 of the FTSE100 companies and equipped hundreds of thousands of professionals globally with the lasting techniques that transform how people influence stakeholders, navigate challenges, and lead with impact.
Ultimately, Debate Mate equips everyone, everywhere, with the human skills to thrive in the modern workplace.
