Secondary school students sharpen debating skills at CityU workshop
Yvonne Lee
? 
Around 200 students from 18 top-tier secondary schools participated in the “Discovery & Innovation Debating Challenge” programme at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 7 December. 
In the morning session, participants were divided into six groups and visited state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities at CityU, including the Gateway Education (GE) Laboratory, the Discovery-enriched Curriculum (DEC) Laboratories, the Plasma Laboratory, Laboratory of Transgenic Medaka, the “Pure Land: Inside the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang” exhibition, the 3D-TV Virtual Studio, the Moot Court, and the Run Run Shaw Library. 
In the afternoon, participants learned professional debating skills such as strategies, style and tone, among others, at a debating workshop hosted by four top debating coaches. After the workshop, the 18 schools, divided into nine groups, debated different motions, making use of the skills they had learnt. The students found the debates exciting and rewarding.
The aim of the programme, which was jointly organised by CityU and Young Post, South China Morning Post, was to enhance an understanding of CityU, polish English debating skills, and encourage new knowledge and innovation.
Talks were arranged after the campus tour for participants to learn about CityU’s Discovery-enriched Curriculum. Faculty members from the colleges and schools introduced their respective undergraduate programmes, study pathways and information about career development. Student representatives then shared stories about their vibrant university life at the talks, too.
