by Tyler Prochazka | Aug 25, 2025

 

A fifth-grade student takes the stage, with his debate case in hand, ready to persuade the judges. He describes how the future of Taiwan’s security depends on financial stability for the average citizen. For young debaters in Taipei in July, this was the scene that emerged in the novice final round for the UBI Taiwan National Debate Tournament.

On July 23, UBI Taiwan partnered with Ascent Academy to host its bi-annual UBI debate showcase. Held in coordination with Taipei Municipal Songshan High School, the event gathered young debaters from across Taiwan, the United States, and Shanghai, China, to discuss the implications of guaranteeing a basic income for all Taiwanese.

The tournament was a charitable event with the proceeds being donated to UBI Taiwan’s program assisting single-parent households to receive basic income.

For Tyler Prochazka, founder of UBI Taiwan, these tournaments are important to introduce the idea of basic income to the next generation of Taiwan’s ‘youngest economists’. 

“Debate is not just about winning rounds. It’s about cultivating a mindset, one that’s capable of empathy, precision, and democratic dialogue,” he said.

Throughout a full day of competition, participants engaged in various debate formats, from in-depth researched Public Forum (PF) rounds on basic income to spontaneous topics on social issues.

Some teams framed UBI as a moral necessity in an age of automation. Others warned of unintended consequences that could harm social services or destabilize the economy. A consistent concern was how Taiwan would grapple with the tradeoff of basic income on other important areas, such as healthcare and the military.

This marked the fourth UBI-Ascent debate tournament. In December 2024, nearly 100 students from Taiwan and Japan gathered to debate the feasibility of UBI implementation in Southeast Asia.

Two keynote speakers added encouraging words for the students. 

Dr. Lien Hsien-Ming, President of the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, opened the event by emphasizing the importance of youth engagement in shaping economic and social policy. Jack Huang, a senior consultant at the United Nations, shared his firsthand experiences with global policymaking, reminding students that the issues they debated are both real and urgent.

In the closing remarks, the debate academy sponsoring the event noted how these important discussions are essential for students to develop their critical thinking about how to make positive change.

“The real value of debate isn’t about winning. It’s about the friendships you make, the lessons you learn, and the journey you take together,” Allen Chen, Ascent Academy’s co-founder, said.

One of the tournament’s defining features was its emphasis on civic education and values-based inquiry. Judging panels, composed of debate coaches, teachers, and policy experts, balanced both economic and ethical issues when deciding winners.

Both the novice and advanced divisions were won by the pro side advocating for basic income. One of the key reasons was that the con neglected the potential long-run improvements to government revenue that could arise from the basic income’s economic stimulus.

By centering the entire tournament on basic income, the tournament’s debate teachers pushed students to move beyond surface-level arguments and engage deeply with structural, ethical, and economic dimensions. 

“We saw a group of elementary and middle school students bravely engage with topics they don’t usually encounter,” said tournament project manager Eric Tseng. 

One middle school student who reached the final round also said the tournament made him reconsider some of his ideas about how society is built.

“Debating UBI made me realize that policy isn’t just about numbers or laws. It’s about the lives we’re building, or failing to build, together,” the student said.

Jonas Li, one of the teachers who prepared students on the basic income topic, furthered that the tournament allowed students to meet members from UBI Taiwan and think more deeply about the idea. 

“Students tackled UBI with passion and insight, especially during the exchange with UBI Taiwan’s chairman,” Li said.

But perhaps most importantly, the tournament allowed these students to have a chance to be heard and reflect on their discussion with the judge’s feedback. This active listening and response is what makes debate distinct from other activities, demonstrating the value it could have for promoting civic discussion of basic income.

For the final international round, the top students from the Taiwan tournament will present their case online to UBI scholars at the BIEN Congress held in Brazil. Participants in the BIEN session will vote for the best team, crowning them as the international champion.

The future of UBI may be uncertain, but furthering democratic dialogue in the classroom may be the first step to making it a possibility.

Written by: Kai Lechman-Su and Tyler Prochazka