Undergrad Uni Zeinab Mukhtar and Duke’s Arabic Debate Team Win 2023 U.S. Universities Arabic Debating Championship

Zeinab Mukhtar (left) and teammates at U.S. Universities Arabic Debate Championship

Undergraduate University Scholar Zeinab Mukhtar (Class of 2025) joined fellow Blue Devils on the Arabic Debate Team in triumphing in the 4th edition of the U.S. Universities Arabic Debating Championship held at the University of Utah in October.  The team defeated Carnegie Mellon University, who came in second, and 41 other universities to secure the first place finish. In May, Mukhtar will join two other teammates as they make the trip to Doha, Qatar, to represent Duke and the United States on a global stage.

This year’s Duke Arabic Team was comprised of Majed Al Munefi, Saad Lahrichi, and Zeinab Mukhtar and was coached by Maha Houssami, lecturer of Arabic languages and interim Arabic program coordinator in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.

From the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences website (and a story that appeared in The Duke Daily):

Mukhtar joined the Arabic debate team because she was fascinated by the topics and ideas being debated. She also believes that language study allows individuals to understand the stories and experiences of others — forming deeper human connections.

“As someone passionate about social impact, politics, international development and the state of our world in general, I found debate as a way to discuss these topics with peers who are open to conversations,” Mukhtar explains. “Hearing different perspectives is critical to coming to the strongest conclusion, and debate was an opportunity to put myself in a position I might not necessarily agree with.

“And I never know where learning a language can take me or how many amazing conversations, cultures and stories I’ll get to know.”