Students debate Vietnam's integration path in the Debate Horizon 2025 final

The activity is within the framework of the DynaGen Initiative for Student Development, Course 6, implemented by the Vietnam Forward-Soting Fund (VSF) in coordination with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, with the support of TH Group, Bac A Commercial Joint Stock Bank (BAC A BANK) and Education & Times Newspaper. The contest was directly organized by the International Loa Club (University of Economics and Technology).

Before entering the final round, the contest went through two rounds with the participation of more than 50 teams from many universities. In the preliminary and semi-final rounds, the teams will present and debate directly on topics such as climate change, environment, gender equality, digital media and ethics in health. Based on the assessment of content, arguments and criticality, the Jury selected the two teams with the highest scores, Nu Sieu Anh Hung and SOTAers, to compete in the Final Round. The two teams gathered contestants from Foreign Trade universities, National Economics University and Hanoi Law University.

The theme of the Final Round, Should Vietnam actively participate in new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs), puts the contestants in a situation where they are forced to conduct in-depth research on international economic integration. This is a field that requires not only basic knowledge, but also the ability to analyze context, assess benefits, risks and long-term thinking. The current situation and complexity of the issue have attracted great attention from students, who are standing at the threshold of the global labor market.

Nguyen Nhat Thanh, Faculty of Economic Law - Hanoi Law University, is very interested in the theme of this year's Final Round. The SOTAers team member said: This year's theme is very good and true to the current integration context. The younger group had to spend a lot of time learning more about international trade, new-generation agreements as well as related economic and political impacts. This preparation process is truly challenging but also an opportunity for us to broaden our perspective and improve our analytical capabilities.

In the Final round, the two teams went through four consecutive rounds of debate, taking on the roles ofaffirmative andnegative according to the previous draw results. In each round, the teams presented their arguments, presented evidence to strengthen their views, and directly answered questions from the Jury as well as questions from the opponent.

The performance of both teams shows serious investment, demonstrated through a strict system of arguments, convincing evidence and a multidimensional approach to issues. Analysis related to trade, institutions, environmental standards, labor... are reasonably integrated, showing the ability to connect academic knowledge and practice of candidates.

Accompanying the teams throughout the journey to prepare and orient the strategy for the final round is Dr. Vu Van Anh. According to her, this is a playground to help students form abilities that the labor market especially values, such as independent thinking, the ability to debate civilizedly and approach issues from many perspectives. TPying on policy topics such as new-generation FTAs is a practical preparation step for the future, when globalization issues will directly impact the work and life of the younger generation.

After intense and dramatic debate, the two teams demonstrated their mettle, acumen and depth in their arguments. The Super Anh Hung Women's Team became the overall winning team, thanks to their fluid presentation, flexible critical thinking ability, good exploitation of practical evidence and maintaining consistency in argument throughout the competition.

Sharing after winning, Nguyen Hai Giang, Faculty of Foreign Economics - Foreign Trade University, member of the Super Anh Hung Women's Team, said: "In addition to having a firm grasp of basic knowledge, my group spent a lot of time practicing criticism and coordination between members. With a big topic and many perspectives like the new generation FTA, careful preparation helped the group gain confidence and maintain a stable debate throughout the competition.

Observing the Final Round, the Jury highly appreciated the maturity in thinking and depth of analysis of the contestants. Dr. Ngo Tuan Thang, Deputy Head of the Faculty of International Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, commented that the weight of a "big" topic has forced students to step out of their comfort zone, dare to ask questions, argue and seriously expand the problem.

You not only stick to the exam questions but also connect with the economic, social and political context of Vietnam. This shows that students' critical thinking and information processing skills are being significantly improved, he shared.

Contests such as Debate Horizon show the trend of students increasingly proactively approaching Vietnam's economic issues, policies and integration processes. Directly participating in debate and analysis creates opportunities for students to leave pure theoretical space in the classroom to dialogue with current problems in real life. This is also the approach that the Vietnam Association for the Golden Voice wants to promote through the DynaGen Initiative Student Development Initiative.

The increasing appearance of similar academic playgrounds also reflects the need to express opinions, practice reasoning and get acquainted with the critical thinking of young people on public issues. This is an important premise to form a generation of citizens who are able to participate and contribute their voices more proactively in the context of increasingly deep integration.