KazNU has held an inter-university debate among students of higher education institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the theme: «Countering corruption: toughening criminal responsibility or improving legal culture?». The debate was organized by Al-Farabi KazNU with the support of the republican project office «Sanaly Urpaq» together with the Department of Anti-Corruption Agency of the RK in Almaty. The debate was held on Skype platform in online mode.
The competition was attended by members of intellectual and debate clubs from H. Dosmukhamedov Atyrau State University, L.Gumilev ENU, Abai KazNPU, Caspian University, «Turan» University, and Al-Farabi KazNU. The most interesting British format of the game was used, according to which the participants adhere to the style of argumentation adopted in the oldest representative institution of the world – the Parliament of Great Britain. According to the model adopted in the British Parliament, two teams of the government and two teams of the opposition, consisting of two speakers each, must convince the jury of their correctness.
The problem of finding methods of fighting corruption, based on the topic «Countering Corruption: Tightening Criminal Liability or Improving Legal Culture?» proposed to the teams, defined two main models of argumentation presented by the teams.
The first one is substantiation of general criminalization of corruption offences and toughening criminal responsibility. During the debate, it was noted that this method may bring short-term positive results, but is not aimed at identifying the causes of corruption crime, but rather at combating its consequences.
The second model of argumentation defines the prevention of corruption offences among the population by raising the level of their legal culture, legal consciousness and decency as the most important method aimed at identifying and preventing exactly the root causes of corruption crime. As the participants in the debate justified, this method is less radical than the previous one and, as a result, it may not produce quick tangible results. However, it is the improvement of the legal culture of the population and, in particular, legal education of young people that is aimed at the long-term perspective and, eventually, produces great positive results in the process of fighting corruption.
All participants in the inter-university debate showed high erudition and competently presented their arguments, eventually holding the tournament on a high theoretical level. Special mention should be made of the line of argument and competent tactics of the dispute, demonstrated by the teams of the University of Turan, Caspian University, H. Dosmukhamedov Atyrau State University, and Al-Farabi KazNU.
The organizers of the debate tournament hope to continue the tradition of holding such events among the youth, aimed at raising the level of legal consciousness, improving methods of legal education, popularization and implementation of the principles of decency and legal culture among the population.
