World Scholasrs Cup 2023

Today, we are privileged to share the remarkable journey of three outstanding students: Alex Margvelashvili, Lucas Gorgiladze, and Lazare Khantadze. These students recently achieved extraordinary success at the regional round of the World Scholar’s Cup at BIST and have since set their sights on global recognition. With diligence and unwavering dedication, guided by Mr. Whybro, the leader of their Year 9 debate club, Alex, Lucas, and Lazare secured a remarkable Second Place in Debates among all Junior teams at the Global Round in London. Their accolades also include a sixth-place ranking for writing and more than 25 medals. Their journey continues as they prepare to represent Georgia and BIST at the Tournament of Champions at Yale University in November. In this interview, they share their insights, aspirations, and gratitude for the support of their school and dedicated teachers.

Can you tell us more about your experience at the regional round of the World Scholar’s Cup at BIST?
What was the most challenging part, and how did you prepare for it? Our experience in the world scholars cup regional round was quite enjoyable. Our team had lots of fun and it was very interesting, however academically challenging. We probably found the scholars’ challenge the most di cult. The questions were very broad and hard. To prepare, we would do group calls and revise the topics and improve our skills.

Winning Second Place in Debates among all Junior teams is a remarkable achievement. Can you share some insights into the strategies and teamwork that helped you achieve this result?
How did the knowledge you have received at BIST help you? Thank you for your remark, we had multiple strategies for each part of the competition, for example using more rebuttals in debates, to make them stronger. The knowledge developed at BIST helped us a lot in this, because 2 of 4 competitions there were general knowledge, and that is what school provides us.

Winning over 25 medals in total is quite an accomplishment. Can you provide some context on the di erent categories or events in which you earned these medals?
Thanks, all of our trophies were earned in the writing and debating, however we did receive medals in every category. In the scholars challenge we all received a silver medal. And in the scholars bowl we got around 100th place as a team. We all earned multiple medals for writing and debating and we received two trophies in debating and 1 trophy in writing.

Were you the only participants from Georgia?
If not, who was participating with you? No, we were not the only participants from Georgia. There was a group from BGA and there was also a person from a school in Batumi. Our competitors were people from all over the world.

Looking ahead to the Tournament of Champions at Yale University in November, what are your expectations, and how do you plan to prepare for this prestigious event? Do you have the information about who you’re competing against?
Until November, we are planning to do a lot of team sessions, practising debates, essay writing and quizzes as a team. We are competing against 332 other teams, from all around the world as there are 20,000 people in total, but only 1000 remain for the Tournament of Champions.

In your letter, you expressed gratitude to your school and its dedicated teachers for the opportunity to participate in this competition. Could you share some specific ways in which your school and teachers supported your journey?
First of all, a special thanks to the debate club leader for organising the debate club which we went to to improve our skills and a thanks to our English teacher for teaching us English and essay skills. Also, thanks to all the other teachers’ help, as all the subjects appear in the WSC. Additionally thanks to the school management for organising and letting us participate in this joyful although academic event. Besides, the school itself has helped a lot by implementing teamwork all throughout the years, as it is very important.

Beyond the competition itself, what have you personally gained from your participation in the World Scholar’s Cup? How has it influenced your academic and personal growth?
Beyond the competition, our participation in the World Scholar’s Cup has greatly advanced our academics and our growth as individuals. During our stay with the other scholars outside of competitions, we made many great friends and met lots of new people. It helped to improve our social skills and we enjoyed talking to people from all over the globe. We also learnt many new things from the hosts of the events, the teachers representing their schools, and the other scholars. Even though our time participating was short, we had an extremely wonderful time which expanded our skills and introduced me to new ways of thinking and new hobbies.

Lastly, what advice would you give to other students aspiring to excel in academic competitions like the World Scholar’s Cup?
Our advice to students that wish to do well in the World Scholar’s Cup, and other events like it, is to get the ideas and tricks from other people who experienced the event, along with studying yourself. It is important to find people who are knowledgeable or have experienced the event beforehand, getting all the information you can from them as it provides a better image of what to expect and what to study for. However you should still try your best to study using the resources that are available to you, whether that be online from third parties, from books and past works, or from the event itself. All of these things are necessary if you wish to excel in events such as the World Scholar’s Cup.