Hosted by the SFS and Public Speaking Association of XJTU, the campus preliminary round of the 31st "21st Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition concluded successfully on April 17.

The competition attracted 165 participants from more than 10 schools of XJTU. After a highly competitive online preliminary round, 20 contestants stood out and advanced to the campus final. Five faculty members from the SFS —Jack Dudley, Chu Jianwei, Dong Yanyun, Zou Haojing, and Zhang Jingjie—served as judges for the campus final, and Qian Xi served as the guest question master.

Following the competition format established in previous years, the campus final featured impromptu speeches to select truly outstanding English speakers. Each contestant was required to answer one question posed by the question master in addition to delivering an impromptu speech. After randomly drawing a topic, contestants were given 20 minutes for preparation. Covering a wide range of themes, the topics explored issues such as educational transformation in the age of AI, technology ethics, the evolution of cognitive paradigms, and life philosophy. Representative topics included "Generational Differences in Cognition," "The Contemporary Value of the Confucian Ideal of Harmony without Uniformity," "Rethinking Education in the Era of AI-Accelerated Learning," "Technology Empowering Competitive Sports," and "Balancing Authenticity with Social Adaptation."

All contestants delivered their speeches with coherent logic and incisive critical thinking. They integrated personal experiences and sincere reflections into concise and persuasive arguments despite the tight preparation time. Their performances not only showcased XJTU students' remarkable proficiency in impromptu public speaking in English, but also reflected their critical thinking capabilities and intercultural communicative competence.