About Intelligence Squared Australia

The program:

An annual series of provocative and informative live debates on the hot-button concerns of the day.

Learn more about the live debates, including the current series.

The goals:

The goals of IQ² Australia are to:

• raise the level of public discourse on our most challenging issues;
• provide a new forum for intelligent discussion, grounded in facts and informed by reasoned analysis;
• transcend the toxically emotional and the reflexively ideological; and
• encourage recognition that the opposing side has intellectually respectable views.

The approach:

To take the traditional 'grammar' of Oxford-style debate seriously, with one side proposing and the other side opposing a sharply-framed motion. Three speakers - leading thinkers and authorities on the issues - argue on each side of the motion.

After the formal arguments, the debate is thrown open to the floor for debate and questions, triggering a lively interchange among the speakers and audience members. A well-known moderator keeps the proceedings orderly.

Each side attempts to persuade the audience to vote their way. This adversarial context is electric, adding drama and excitement. The live audience will vote on the motion both before and after hearing the arguments, so there is a clear measure of how far people have actually been swayed.

The where and when:

The debates are held in Sydney at the City Recital Hall Angel Place and in Melbourne at Melbourne Town Hall. Doors open at 6:00pm, the debate begins at 6:30pm in Melbourne and 6:45pm in Sydney and will end promptly at 8:30pm.

As in London and New York, the live audience - including the movers and shakers of Sydney’s media, policy and business worlds - may choose to continue the discussion at some of the city’s fine local restaurants.

Learn more about the live debates including ticketing and prices.

Project partners:

Learn about who's behind IQ² in Australia and how the project came about.