UM students win third place in national English debating competition

The English Debating Team of the University of Macau (UM) won third place in the national finals of the 27th ‘FLTRP · ETIC Cup’ National English Debating Competition, showcasing remarkable talent and skill. The competition attracted over 10,000 teams from nearly 500 higher education institutions across China.

UM entered two teams into the competition: the first team included Wang Sizhe and Zhang Kai from the Faculty of Social Sciences, and the second team included Zhu Shuairong from the Faculty of Business Administration and Wang Xirui from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. In the preliminary stage, both teams delivered exceptional performances across eight rounds of intense debate. Wang Sizhe and Zhang Kai came first and won the Best Debater Awards, while Zhu Shuairong and Wang Xirui came 17th. According to the rules, only one team from each institution could advance to the national finals, and Wang Sizhe and Zhang Kai were chosen to represent UM.

The national finals, held in Beijing on 9 June, brought together 32 of the country’s top university debating teams. With their exceptional English language skills, keen critical thinking skills, and excellent teamwork, the UM team defeated teams from Nanjing Normal University, Renmin University of China, Nanchang University, Sichuan Normal University, and Chengdu University of Technology. Their strong performance earned them a place in the semi-finals, where they ultimately secured a third place.

This achievement highlights UM’s commitment to enhancing students’ global competence and cross-cultural communication skills. The university will continue to provide opportunities for students to hone their critical thinking skills and develop a global outlook.