The 8th SFLEP Cup National College Students' Intercultural Competence Contest concluded on December 14 at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). The XJTU team, composed of Lan Ruoxi, an English major, Zhang Weizhou, a Nuclear Engineering and Nuclear Technology major, and Ma Zhe, an Environmental Engineering major, won the second prize in the national finals with their solid English proficiency, profound intercultural competence, and outstanding teamwork. The competition also awarded Dong Yanyun, Zhu Liyun, and Sun Changhong, three SFS teachers, as Excellent Instructors.
The SFLEP Cup National College Students' Intercultural Competence Contest is included in the National College Students' Competition Catalog and is a benchmark in the Foreign Language Discipline Competition category. It is hosted by SISU, organized by the Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, and supported by SISU Intercultural Institute under the guidance of the China Education Association for International Exchange.
This year's contest has attracted more than 3,000 participants from over 1,000 universities nationwide. After intense competitions at the university and provincial levels, 76 Chinese student teams and 25 international student teams advanced to the national finals, marking the largest scale and highest level in the contest's history.
Supported by XJTU's Practical Education Center (Engineering Workshop) and Department of Teaching Affairs, SFS has attached great importance to this competition. Its Competition Base organized and launched the competition promotion in June, and completed the university round on July 3. Guidance on script development, creative writing, and cross-cultural theories was provided by the instructor team during the intensive preparation throughout August, followed by script refinement and full-process simulation exercises in September. After advancing from the provincial round in October, the team shifted to targeted, refined training for the national competition.
The national final featured a compact schedule and diverse modules, including Case Analysis and Presentation, Famous Quotes Interpretation, Knowledge Q&A, Scenario Commentary, and Telling China's Stories. The XJTU team addressed contemporary issues from a multicultural perspective and conveyed the warmth of China through the voice of youth. They demonstrated both innovative thinking and a strong sense of responsibility in facilitating understanding and building consensus across complex cultural contexts. With outstanding performance, the team was awarded the second prize in the national finals. The intensive and immersive competition has provided contestants with a deeper understanding of cultural differences and significant improvements in practical cross‑cultural communication skills, facilitating their all-round progress from theoretical knowledge to integrated competence.
Going forward, SFS will further integrate curriculum development, technology application, and academic competitions into talent cultivation, and remain committed to promoting learning and teaching through competitions. SFS will continue to provide an all-round supportive environment for foreign language education, with the aim of cultivating more high-caliber talents who possess both patriotism and a global vision.
