On October 23, 2023, the final round of the 7th "Starry Cup" English Speech Contest of NPU was successfully held in East Teaching Building A 410 Conference Room, organized by the Youth League Committee of NPU and co-hosted by the Youth League Committee of QMES and Student Union of QMES. Associate Professors Ma Jing and Li Dan from the School of Foreign Studies, Lecturer Wang Xuan, as well as Yamin Abdouni, the international faculty member from QMES, along with Huang Quanzhang, Secretary of QMES Youth League Committee, and Yang Ye, the Director of the Teaching Affairs Office, served as judges for the competition. The event was presided over by two students, Song Xin and Jiang Jingfan, from QMES.

After over a month of meticulous preparation, 122 students from 14 colleges including the QMES, the Honors College, the School of Software, the School of Astronautics, and the School of Automation actively participated in the speech competition. Following intense competition, 18 contestants stood out and advanced to the final round.

In the final competition, contestants delivered speeches on three themes: “Promoting the Chief Engineer Culture and Striving to Be the New Generation of the Times”， “My Life”， and "Love". Ultimately, Zeng Ziqin and Liu Yuxin from the QMES were awarded first prize, while Yin Yitian from the School of Mechanics, Civil Engineering and Architecture also received this honour. The second prize was awarded to seven students from the School of Astronautics, including Guo Yujie and Yan Shuai. Additionally, eight students, such as Wang Dezhi from the Honors College and Miao Mengyu from the School of Management, were awarded the third prize.

After the competition, Associate Professor Ma Jing from the School of Foreign Studies provided comments on the event. She pointed out that the "Starry Cup" English Speech Contest not only provided a stage for students to showcase their talents but also enhanced everyones enthusiasm for learning English. At the same time, she encouraged students to study hard, strive for progress, and aspire to become outstanding individuals of the times, contributing their efforts to the development of the country, society, and nation. Finally, drawing on her years of teaching experience, Professor Ma elaborately introduced effective methods for enhancing public speaking skills.

The Student Union of QMES also conducted interviews with the contestants. Deng Yifan, a student from the 2022 cohort of the QMES, expressed, “I am grateful to the college for organizing the ‘Starry Cup’ English Speech Contest, which has greatly honed my English expression and public speaking skills. I am honoured to have taken part in this speech contest, and although I only received a third prize, I will continue to work hard in my future studies.”

Gui Zehua, a student from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, remarked, “Participating in the English speech contest has been an unforgettable experience for me. Throughout the preparation process, I have become more confident and proficient in expressing myself. Despite the intense competition in this event, it has motivated me to keep learning and improving. I have also learned how to organize my thoughts and effectively articulate my viewpoints. During the contest, I have had the opportunity to make new friends and broaden my horizons. Regardless of the outcome, this experience has been immensely beneficial for me, and I am committed to further enhancing my public speaking skills to prepare myself for future opportunities on other platforms. I am grateful for this chance, as it has marked a significant milestone in my journey of English public speaking.”

The "Starry Cup" English Speech Contest not only demonstrated the contestants talents in English expression but also highlighted the significance of language in conveying ideas and eliciting resonance. We believe that these young speakers will continue to engage with society and express their viewpoints with a positive attitude, as they step onto the international stage and make the voice of China heard.

Text: Jiang Jingfan

Photo: Wang Yujie

Translate: Shen Xinyi

Review: Cheng Yin