The International Students Union (ISU) and the Student Union at East China Normal University (ECNU) are jointly organizing the Chinese and international Students Joint Debate Competition, inviting international students to participate. The event offers a valuable opportunity to sharpen critical thinking skills and make like-minded friends through cross-cultural exchange.

Event highlights

1. Cross-cultural teams, inspiring diverse thinking

Participants will collaborate with students from different cultural backgrounds to analyze debate motions and develop strategies, experiencing teamwork while engaging with diverse viewpoints.

2. Close-to-life motions, showcasing personal style

The motions range from "Will artificial intelligence replace human teachers?" to "Have digital tools improved our learning efficiency?" — topics closely related to everyday life.

3. Professional training, enhancing skills rapidly

The team has invited experienced debate trainers to provide comprehensive training from debate fundamentals to practical techniques. Participants will learn how to present persuasive arguments, identify opponents' weaknesses, and remain calm and confident throughout the debate.

Event details

Number of recruits: 24

Content:

Participants will receive professional training with their teammates, prepare for the debate competition, and experience the excitement of debating while tackling challenging topics.

Key note:

The debate competition will be conducted entirely in Chinese. Participants must possess sufficient Chinese language proficiency. Please refer to the application requirements for the specific language criteria.

Competition process

The competition will adopt a standard four-person team debate format, with each team consisting of three international students and one Chinese student.

Event phases: pre-competition training, preliminary round, and final round.

- Pre-competition training: All eight teams will participate in pre-competition training simultaneously, with two professional debate coaches providing on-site guidance. The motions and matchups will be announced on the training day, after which teams will immediately begin preparing for the preliminary round.

- Preliminary round: Two venues will be arranged for the preliminary round, with four teams competing in each venue simultaneously. Four winning teams will advance to the finals. The results will be announced to all teams by email the day after the competition.

- Final round: The four teams will compete in the order determined by the pre-competition draw, eventually deciding the two winning teams. The finalists will then draw the final motion on-site and prepare within the designated time before the final debate begins. The final outcome will be determined jointly by the judges' scores and audience votes.

Event schedule

1. Training session

- Date and time: 2:30 pm, March 14 (Saturday)

- Venue: International Students Center, 4th floor, Physics Building, Putuo Campus, ECNU

- Content: Basic knowledge of debates, debating skills, rule interpretation, and practical simulations to help participants grasp the essence of debating.

2. Preliminaries

- Date and time: 1:30 pm, March 21 (Saturday)

Venue: Putuo Campus, ECNU

3. Finals

- Date and time: 1 pm, March 29 (Sunday)

Venue: Putuo Campus, ECNU

Application requirements

1. Applicants must be international students and possess a certain level of Chinese proficiency. HSK Level 5 or above is recommended.

2. Participants should carefully review the competition process and may not withdraw from the competition without valid reasons.

3. Scores will be evaluated comprehensively based on arguments, logic, expression, and deportment. Results will be announced on-site or published after the competition. Participants are expected to respect the final evaluations.

How to register

Please register via the ECNU ISU WeChat mini-program.

 

Source: Official WeChat account of Global Education Center of ECNU (ID: "ecnugec")