On 31 May 2026, the Beijing regional final of the 31st “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition was held at China Daily. Three BUCT students competed in the Beijing regional final: Zhu Ruiqi (English 2202), Wang Heqiao (Law 2303) and Li Yifang (English 2304). They received guidance from Zhou Xueying, Wang Lili and Sun Yajing of the Department of Foreign Languages at the College of Humanities and Law. This marked the university's first participation in the event. After fierce competition, Zhu Ruiqi and Wang Heqiao won second prize in the Beijing final and advanced to the national final, while Li Yifang won third prize in the Beijing final.

About the Competition

Founded in 1996, the “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition is hosted by China Daily and organized by 21st Century English Education Media. It is included in the competition list published in a national report on competitions for Chinese university students and is one of the national competitions officially recognized by the Ministry of Education. The competition provides young people in China with a platform to share China’s stories with the world, learn from other cultures and work together toward a shared future for humanity.

Competition Format

This year's Beijing final brought together 58 outstanding contestants from universities across the city, including outstanding speakers from leading universities such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing Language and Culture University and Beijing Normal University. The final consisted mainly of two rounds: the first was a one-on-one impromptu speech, and the second comprised a prepared speech and a question-and-answer session.

In the first round on the morning of 31 May, the 58 contestants drew topics at random in the order determined by lot, prepared their impromptu speeches within 20 minutes and then delivered a two-minute impromptu speech on social issues of contemporary relevance. In this fiercely contested opening round, the three BUCT contestants responded calmly, demonstrating solid language skills and a fine competitive spirit. Zhu Ruiqi and Wang Heqiao, drawing on excellent impromptu speaking ability and a strong knowledge base, stood out in the impromptu segment. They remained composed under pressure and marshaled a wide range of evidence to advance to the next round, where they demonstrated strong critical thinking and expressive delivery.

In the second round that afternoon, 32 contestants first delivered a four-minute prepared speech on the topic “Setbacks are One’s Greatest Guarantee of Success”, and then gave a one-minute impromptu answer to questions raised by foreign teachers on the spot. In this segment the contestants all showcased their strengths. Their speeches addressed contemporary social issues across a range of fields, including the humanities, science and technology, military affairs, environmental protection, and common prosperity. The foreign teachers posed incisive questions tailored to the contestants’ speeches,probing their knowledge, global perspective and critical-thinking skills. In the prepared speech, Zhu Ruiqi and Wang Heqiao earned second prize with fresh, powerful arguments and compelling delivery in the Beijing final and advanced to the national final.

Preparation

In April this year, the university-level round of the “21st Century Cup” was jointly hosted by the College of Humanities and Law and the Academic Affairs Office, and organized by the Oral Training Center of the Department of Foreign Languages. With coordination and guidance from the Department’s extracurricular education team, the preliminary and final rounds ran smoothly. More than 40 students from across the university took part. The final took place on 22 April, during which 11 finalists delivered prepared and impromptu speeches. Sun Yajing, Liu Hongxia, Li Yin and Guo Shan from the Department of Foreign Languages served as on-site judges. The judges assessed the contestants objectively and fairly, providing detailed feedback on the content and logic of their speeches, their language and overall performance. They ultimately selected Zhu Ruiqi, Wang Heqiao and Li Yifang to represent BUCT at the Beijing final of the “21st Century Cup”.

Under the guidance of Zhou Xueying, Wang Lili and Sun Yajing, the contestants prepared thoroughly. They refined their speeches, practiced impromptu speaking to build experience and sharpen their skills, and studied current topics—including the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and artificial intelligence—through intensive bilingual reading. The three students made steady progress throughout their preparation and were well prepared for the competition.

In recent years, BUCT students have performed well in foreign language competitions, reflecting the strength of English teaching in the College of Humanities and Law. The College’s foreign language teaching has consistently followed a dual approach that cultivates both language proficiency and critical thinking, while broadening students’ global perspectives and strengthening their sense of national commitment. Through the joint efforts of the faculty, integrating subject content with values education has yielded positive results. As the national final approaches, the College will continue to prepare carefully for the national final and step up training to help the students perform at their best.