IQS was the top winner at the 18th edition of the San Francisco Javier UNIJES Debate League 2025, cementing the school’s reputation as the best university in this prestigious public speaking competition. The event, held at the Comillas Pontifical University, brought together 150 students from various academic institutions who demonstrated their talent in discourse and presenting arguments.
Along with IQS, universities such as Loyola, ESADE, the University of Deusto, the Francisco de Vitoria University, SAFA, the Cardenal Herrera CEU University, and the host, Comillas, participated, along with San Agustín, Loyola, and Santa Monica secondary schools.
Jaime Tatay, SJ, Vice Chancellor of Identity and Mission and of Alumni, inaugurated the event with a speech on the relevance of the debate topic: “Should organic agriculture be prioritized over industrial agriculture?”. Next, Raquel Sanz Velazco, UNIJES Vocational Culture Coordinator, participated in the opening of the debate league on behalf of UNIJES. Subsequently, Isabel Mateos, a professor at INEA, gave a presentation that served as a theoretical framework for the teams’ actions.
After intense rounds of argumentation and rebuttals, the IQS team won the league, while the Universidad Pontificia Comillas won the runner-up position. The jury underscored the strength of the arguments and the high level of all participants.
For the individual awards, Alfonso Carballada, from Colegio Mayor Loyola, was recognized as the best speaker, and the University of Deusto received the award for best research, with an award of €500 that the school allocated to DANA-Emergency Service SJ.
The San Francisco Javier UNIJES Debate League continues to consolidate itself as a benchmark in the academic field, promoting critical thinking, effective communication, and teamwork among university students. The next edition will be in Barcelona, with ESADE and IQS hosting.