The highly anticipated 29th “21st Century Cup” National English Speech Competition Tianjin regional finals, organized by the China Daily, successfully concluded at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics on June 2. Two students from the SFL, Zhang Han and Ge Yang, performed excellently to have won the second and third prizesrespectively with Zhang Han who representsTUST entering the national finals.

This competition’s theme was “The Revival of Traditional Culture”. As representatives of Generation Z, the contestants grew up in an era of increasing cultural confidence, exploring the significant importance of revitalizing traditional culture in modern life based on their own experiences and observations. During two weeks of intense preparation with careful guidance from the tutors and insights and strategies from the experienced seniors, Zhang Han and Ge Yang stood out on stage with their solid English foundation, excellent speaking skills, and deep understanding and unique perspectives on the revival of traditional culture.

The SFL has always placed great importance on the comprehensive development of student qualities by actively encouraging students to participate in various competitions. Efforts are made to create a sound and comprehensive supportive environment for foreign language learning, aiming to cultivate more outstanding, competent, and cross-culturally capable talents.

Note: The “21st Century Cup” National English Speech Competition guided by Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era fully implements the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It aims to improve the ability of Chinese youth to tell China’s story, strengthen the construction of international communication capabilities, promote cultural exchanges, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind. The competition is the only official selection for the International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) held annually in London, UK, and has been included in the 2023 National College Student Competition Analysis Report” to have become one of the national college student discipline competitions officially recognized by the Ministry of Education. The achievements of this event in enhancing the ability of Chinese youth to tell China’s story, promoting cultural exchanges, and contributing to building a community with a shared future have been widely recognized.