High school students compete in international debate and speech championship in Hanoi
VOV.VN - The finals of the second Olympia International Debate & Speech Championship (OIDSC) 2026 was held at The Olympia Schools in Hanoi on October 24 and 25, gathering 370 secondary and high school students from nearly 60 schools across 10 Vietnamese provinces and cities, alongside Shanghai, China.
Contestants competed directly in English across four categories: Public Forum Debate, World Schools Debate, Original Oratory, and Extemporaneous Speech.
In the Open High School Division of Public Forum Debate, first place was shared by SSIS MN from Saigon South International School and Team Harbinger, comprising students from Hiba Academy Shanghai and Dulwich College Shanghai. In the Junior Division, OLYMPIA TL from The Olympia Schools and MIA LILY from Delta Global School secured joint first place.
This year's Public Forum motions centered on whether the US federal government should impose a moratorium on building new large-scale data centers, forcing debaters to balance AI infrastructure growth with environmental and water resource impacts. Members of the winning SSIS MN team noted that their arguments focused on environmental management and pollution risks, while opposing teams emphasized the role of AI in the US economy.
In the World Schools Debate category, SSIS Scarlet Schrodingers and DFAV Dhaka claimed joint first place in the Open Division, while EC Aura Farming Association and Socio pls break won the Junior Division. Motions ranged from Taliban policy shifts regarding women to initial public offerings by pioneering AI firms.
The Original Oratory category evaluated independent thinking and delivery through 10-minute personal speeches, while Extemporaneous Speech challenged students to research, structure, and deliver 7-minute presentations on current affairs with 30 minutes of preparation.
Top winners earned qualification points toward prestigious global competitions, including the Tournament of Champions (TOC) in the US and China, a prestigious high school debate and speech tournament hosted by the University of Kentucky for nearly 55 years.
Vietnamese debaters excel at 2026 Asian BP Championship
VOV.VN - Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam students Vu Duc Hung and Ngo Minh Kien have made history by becoming the first Vietnamese debaters to rank among the Top 5 speakers in the English as foreign language (EFL) category at the 2026 Asian British Parliamentary Championship (ABP).
