A team of Bioinformatics students finalists in the UPC Debate League, 2025

The Sofistes del Sistema team, consisting of Mireia Fàbregas, Pepe Merino, Joan Almirall, and Maria Pascual, has been classified as a finalist in the UPC Debate League, which took place from 28th of February to 5th of March at the Diagonal North Campus. Most of the team members are first-year Bioinformatics students, and they entered the competition with the goal of stepping out of their comfort zone and taking on a new experience away from their usual academic subjects.

Mireia, Pepe, Joan, and Maria joined the competition with the aim of stepping out of their comfort zone and facing a new experience, far from their usual academic subjects. Despite their lack of prior experience, they stood out for their eagerness to learn and their teamwork skills, overcoming several rounds and reaching the final. Although they didn’t win, the team members are pleased with their second place, an achievement they consider a great success.

The UPC Debate League is an initiative by the DebatUPC association, created with the aim of fostering critical thinking and argumentative skills among the university's students. As Francisco Javier Costa, president of the association, has pointed out, "Beyond technical skills, we want a university where future engineers can express ideas clearly, listen actively, and understand diverse perspectives with respect and empathy."

This first edition of the League, which involved 80 students from various UPC academic centres, has been a great success, showcasing the potential of the university's students in areas beyond technical disciplines.

The members of the Sofistes del Sistema team are now preparing to participate in the 2025 Xarxa Vives University Debate League, which will take place at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia from 7th to 9th of April. The debate topic for this year’s edition is: «Is linguistic diversity at risk?».

Good luck, Sofistes del Sistema!