A Triumph That Makes All of Macedonia Proud: Skopje High Schoolers Win First Place in Debate at the Prestigious World Scholar's Cup
The Yahya Kemal College team — Aleksej Stojkovski, Mila Panchevska and Vega Jorgakieska — now has an open path to the Global Rounds in Dubai, Prague and Seoul
Macedonian education has a new reason for pride: a team of high school students from Yahya Kemal College in Skopje won first place in Team Debate in the Junior Division of the World Scholar's Cup regional round — one of the largest international academic competitions in the world.
Meet the champions
The winning Team 134 consists of Aleksej Stojkovski, Mila Panchevska and Vega Jorgakieska. At the tournament, held on May 15-16 in Skopje, they competed across several disciplines — team debate, collaborative writing, the Scholar's Bowl and the Scholar's Challenge — and it was in the crown discipline, debate, that they finished on top.
"Very proud today. Aleksej and his team brought home first place in debate... With the cup and all the medals hanging around it, it looks less like a trophy and more like a Christmas tree," one competitor's father wrote after the victory.
What is the World Scholar's Cup
The World Scholar's Cup is an annual international academic program combining debate, writing and quiz competitions, with regional rounds held around the globe. The best teams from the regional rounds qualify for the Global Rounds — taking place in 2026 in Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Prague, Seoul, Shanghai, Christchurch, Bangkok and Da Nang — and the top performers there advance to the Tournament of Champions at Yale University in the United States.
For the young debaters of Yahya Kemal College — a school already known for its students' success at international olympiads — this means the door to the world's elite academic stage is wide open. Next stop: the Global Round — and, perhaps, Yale.
