News Sharing: UM Mandarin Debating Team Won the Second Place in the 8th “Innovative Flower City • Youth Debate”

The 8th “Innovative Flower City • Youth Debate” Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area University Debate Competition, the UM Mandarin Debating Team performed exceptionally well, competing against 24 top universities from the “9+2” cities of the Bay Area and ultimately securing the runner-up position. Graduate student HE TIANXIAO was awarded “Best Debater” in the finals for his outstanding debating skills and clear logical thinking, bringing glory to UM.

The competition focused on the theme of “Copyright Protection” and consisted of four stages: group preliminaries, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. In the opening match, UM sent representatives including FANG RUIYU from the Faculty of Science and Technology and Cheng Yu Tung College; Graduate student ZHOU LINQIN from Faculty of Arts & Humanities; Graduate student HE TIANXIAO from the Faculty of Law, and Graduate student XIE JUN from the Faculty of Business Administration to face Guangzhou University, achieving a decisive 9:0 victory, with HE TIANXIAO also earning the title of Best Debater for that round.

In the second match against Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, UM adjusted its lineup, with FANG RUIYU, ZHOU LINQIN, HE TIANXIAO, and CHEN HONGXI from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Henry Fok Pearl Jubilee College competing, advancing to the top eight with a strong 7:2 result.

During the quarter-finals, the debate centered on whether “self-media broadcasting sports event highlights constitutes infringement”. UM took the opposing stance, sending XIE JUN, ZHOU LINQIN, HE TIANXIAO, and XIONG YUNJIE from the Faculty of Education and Moon Chun Memorial College to compete, ultimately advancing with a perfect 9:0 performance, and HE TIANXIAO again received the Best Debater Award.

In the semi-finals, the UM debate team fiercely contested the issue of whether “live broadcasting of sports events should be protected by copyright or neighboring rights”, narrowly winning with a score of 8:7, successfully reaching the finals. In the finals, UM faced Guangdong University of Finance and Economics over whether “remixes of sports event theme songs should be opened or restricted”. Both teams presented compelling arguments, but UM lost by a narrow margin of 7:8, earning the runner-up title. However, HE TIANXIAO ‘s excellent performance in the finals earned him the Best Debater title.

The event was guided by the Guangdong Provincial Copyright Bureau, the Executive Committee of the 15th National Games and the Guangzhou Special Olympics, and the Guangdong Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions. It was co-organized by the Guangzhou Copyright Bureau, Guangzhou Broadcasting and Television Station, among others, aiming to promote youth exchange in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and deepen understanding of copyright protection issues. The outstanding performance of the UM Mandarin Debating Team not only showcased their solid foundation and teamwork but also reflected UM’s excellence in cultivating students’ critical thinking and expressive abilities.