The First International Symposium on Debate and Language
About The Symposium
This symposium is founded upon a central scholarly premise that language constitutes the epistemological framework and structural medium of debate, wherein processes of meaning-making intersect with the construction of argumentation and the formulation of persuasive discourse. From this perspective, the symposium extends beyond examining the general relationship between debate and language to encompass the analysis of linguistic debates as an independent theoretical and applied field of inquiry, revealing the profound interaction between linguistic structure and argumentative function across their various theoretical and practical dimensions.
To address this field comprehensively, the symposium adopts an integrated scholarly framework encompassing, among others, the following themes: the relationship between debate and language; debate and linguistic sciences; linguistic argumentation and debate discourse; debate and rhetoric; debate and language education; debate and contemporary linguistic studies; and artificial intelligence and debate.
Accordingly, the symposium seeks to provide a comprehensive scholarly treatment of debate as a multidimensional linguistic and argumentative phenomenon that bridges the classical linguistic heritage with contemporary intellectual developments, including recent advances in artificial intelligence.
Symposium Objectives
To promote academic research in the fields of debate and linguistic sciences.
To encourage interdisciplinary research integrating debate with linguistic studies.
To contribute to the advancement of debate pedagogy in educational institutions.
To establish an international academic network of scholars specializing in debate and language.
To explore future directions in contemporary research related to debate.
To publish accepted papers as peer-reviewed book chapters in scholarly edited volumes.
Symposium Themes
1. Theoretical Foundations of the Relationship Between Debate and Language
The concept of debate in linguistic studies
Language as a means of argumentation and persuasion
The relationship between the logic of language and the theory of jadal (dialectics)
The development of debate terminology in the classical linguistic tradition
Discourse analysis methods in debate
2. Debate and Linguistic Studies
Debate in the light of linguistic theories
Pragmatics and conversation analysis in debate
Semantics and meaning in debate
Debate in Turkish language studies
Analysis of debate discourse in Turkish
Argumentation in Turkish literature and discourse
3. Debate and the Language Sciences
Grammatical (naḥw) debates
Morphological (ṣarf) debates
Debate and semantics
The impact of linguistic disagreements on the development of scholarly debates
4. Debate and Rhetoric (Balāghah)
The role of rhetoric in the construction of arguments
Bayān and Badīʿ in debate discourse
The influence of oratory (rhetoric) on the audience
Argumentation in classical Arabic rhetoric
Pragmatic rhetoric and debate
5. Linguistic Argumentation and Debate Discourse
Linguistic persuasion strategies
The argumentative structure of debate texts
Linguistic fallacies in debate
Rhetoric and argumentation
Analysis of persuasive discourse in contemporary debates
6. Debate and Language Teaching
The role of debate in developing speaking skills
The contribution of debate to fostering students’ critical thinking
The use of debate in teaching languages to non-native speakers
Academic debates in higher education
Digital debate applications
7. Debate and Contemporary Language Research
Pragmatics and debate
Conversation analysis and debate discourse
Sociolinguistics and debate
8. Artificial Intelligence and Debate
Artificial intelligence and argumentative discourse analysis
The future of debate studies in language research
Language models and their impact on debate analysis
The problem of semantic stability in artificial intelligence models
Linguistic biases in artificial intelligence models and their relationship to debate studies
9. The Language of Debate in Islamic and Human Sciences
The language of debate among ḥadīth scholars
The language of debate among jurists (fuqahāʾ)
The language of debate among scholars of uṣūl al-fiqh
The language of debate among theologians (mutakallimūn)
The language of debate among Qurʾānic exegetes (mufassirūn)
The language of debate among grammarians
The language of debate among rhetoricians
The language of debate among philosophers
The language of debate among historians
The language of debate in the literary tradition
The language of debate in political thought
The language of debate in legal discourse
The language of debate in media discourse
The language of debate in contemporary academic discourse
Organizing Committee
Symposium Chair:
Dr. Naim Hank
Director, Center for Research and Debate, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
Faculty Member, Department of Fiqh, Division of Basic Islamic Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
Organizing Committee Members
Dr. Mehmet Çelik – Vice Dean, Faculty of Islamic Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
Dr. Ali Mohammed Ahmed Al-Omari – Chair, Department of ʿAqīdah, Division of Basic Islamic Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
Dr. Tuba Hacer Korkmaz – Faculty Member, Department of Fiqh, Division of Basic Islamic Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
Research Asst. Nuran Öndeş - Department of ʿAqīdah, Division of Basic Islamic Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
Symposium Secretariat
- Research Asst. Nuran Öndeş
- Enes Demir
Important Dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: 30 September 2026
Full Paper Submission Deadline: 30 November 2026
Symposium Dates: 18–19 December 2026
Organizers
Center for Research and Debate, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
Faculty of Islamic Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
Venue
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
Ayasofya Campus, Istanbul, Türkiye
Participation
Participants may choose one of the following presentation formats:
On-site participation at the Ayasofya Campus of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University, Istanbul.
Online participation via Zoom.
Official Languages
Turkish
Arabic
English
Publication
All submitted papers will undergo a rigorous peer-review process. Accepted papers will be published as chapters in scholarly edited volumes organized according to the symposium themes.
The Organizing Committee is committed to ensuring that the published volumes satisfy the academic standards and promotion requirements recognized by universities and research institutions, including those applicable to appointments and promotions to the academic ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor, in accordance with the relevant institutional regulations.
In addition, all accepted abstracts will be published in a separate Book of Abstracts bearing an International Standard Book Number (ISBN).
Publication Fees:
- On-campus (in-person) participation: 1,000 Turkish Lira (USD 25). The participation fee is charged only to authors whose abstracts have been accepted.
- Participation is free for those who wish to participate online and publish their paper in the conference proceedings.
- It is possible to participate in the conference by submitting only an abstract and presenting it on the conference day without submitting the full paper.
Benefits for On-site Participants
Symposium Card
Publication of the accepted paper in accordance with the publication policy stated above.
Accommodation will be provided by the Organizing Committee for participants attending the symposium in person.