Male student leads 11 teams to the World Scholar's Cup finals.

Hanoi's Ngũ Tô Duy helped 11 teams travel to the US to compete in the largest international debate and essay writing competition for high school students aged 8-18.

The dream of going to America for many Vietnamese contestants in the World Scholar's Cup 2023 has come true as 11 teams with more than 30 students won the global round on September 6th.

Of those, two teams made it to the top 5, winning the Champion Team Cup; seven teams occupied the top Bowl positions (team debate competition) from 2nd to 14th place. All will participate in the finals at Yale University, USA, this coming November.

The guide for these students was a 20-year-old male student named Ngo To Duy.

"It's such a special feeling. I once reached the global round with my teammates, and this time I've brought my students here," said Duy, a second-year student majoring in Hotel Management at VinUni University.

Ngo To Duy. Photo: Provided by the subject.

The World Scholar's Cup (WSC) began with a competition held in South Korea in 2007, featuring students from the host country, Singapore, and the United States. The competition has since grown, with over 10,000 students from 62 countries registering to participate annually. This year, the global round in Thailand alone has 1,500 teams with approximately 4,500 participants.

The WSC consists of four sections, challenging knowledge in the fields of Politics , Society, Science and Technology, History, Literature, Music, and Art through public speaking, debate, and essay writing in English. Contestants must go through two regional and global rounds before reaching the final round at Yale University.

Duy participated in the WSC twice and won the global round at age 13, but was unable to reach the finals in the US later that year. He was also invited to be a judge three times in the regional rounds. According to Duy, this subject helps students build confidence, express their opinions, and defend their viewpoints, while also developing listening skills and a multi-faceted understanding of the same issue. Therefore, Duy opened classes for students passionate about debating to share his experience.

According to Duy, to participate in this competition, contestants need good English skills, the ability to think critically, and the ability to speak in front of a crowd. Duy has an IELTS certificate with a score of 8.5, including a Speaking score of 9.0.

Ngo To Duy (left) and the team of Nguyen Linh Anh, Tran Quy Don, and Nguyen Truong Son - top 4 globally and top 2 in Team Bowl at the tournament in Thailand. Photo: Provided by the subject .

The biggest challenge for Duy when leading the WSC teams was the breadth of knowledge required across many fields, the overly broad syllabus provided by the organizers, while the exam questions were specific. The organizers provided six main topics, and the coach's task was to gather information and knowledge to guide the team members.

Previously, lacking guidance, Duy and his two teammates had to independently research and study the syllabus and prepare for the competition. Through years of competition and experience as a judge, Duy realized that for each topic, it's necessary to narrow down the scope and study as deeply as possible.

The male student said that of the four competition categories, Team Debate and Scholar's Bowl were the most difficult because they encompassed knowledge from many fields.

In the debate section, Duy arranged the roles of each person in the order of 1, 2, 3 to ensure the presentation had a clear structure and was easy for the judges to follow and evaluate. Person number 1 was responsible for stating the issue for the opposing team to refute. Person number 2 presented arguments against the opponent, and person number 3 summarized the points and provided a conclusion.

Meanwhile, for the team-based quiz, Duy consulted various sources of information on different fields, then compiled it into a file and assigned topics to team members. Each team had three contestants, and each person was responsible for two fields.

In the month leading up to the competition, the teams met daily to explain and debate. To boost confidence, reflexes, and competitive spirit, Duy organized small debate tournaments, even competitions between teachers, to help students gain experience and learn. Duy corrected their body language, their thought processes for answering questions, and how to express their individual style on stage.

"With Duy leading us, we don't worry about anything. He has broad knowledge, impressive personal skills, and smart tactics," commented Nguyen Ngoc Minh, 15, who, along with his teammates, secured a top 5 position in the global competition.

According to Minh, Duy employs a variety of strategies that can be adapted depending on the opponent. While foreign teams often focus on style, speaking loudly, and using flowery language, Minh's team concentrates on content and strategy.

"Our team's strategy is to offer solutions to the problem. We attack the opposing team's logical weaknesses to shut down their ideas," Minh said.

Meanwhile, Bui Ha Linh's team, from 9th grade at Vinschool, used a strategy of asking many questions to force their opponents to answer without giving them time to present their arguments. Linh's team secured a top 3 position in the team quiz competition.

"Reaching the final round at Yale University is an honor for me. This result is thanks to the guidance of my coach and the efforts of each member of the team," Linh shared.

The joy of the Young Scholars Vietnam team, led by Duy, after winning the global round in Thailand. Photo: Provided by the subject .

After the competition, Linh and Minh made many new friends and gained experience in international competition. Participating in the tournament also gave them an advantage when applying for scholarships to study abroad, as the WSC gold medal is highly valued by many universities during the admissions process.

According to Duy, besides helping students improve their knowledge in various fields and develop their character, the competition is also an opportunity to introduce Vietnam.

During his trip to Bangkok, Duy and the other contestants brought along the book "Fairy Tales Without Borders ," in English, which Duy himself compiled, to give to their international friends.

The male student is planning and preparing lesson plans to accompany the contestants to the US. "The teams' goal is to win," Duy said.

In the long term, Duy hopes to continue passing on his passion for debate to his students. In addition, Duy dedicates time to several translation projects and social activities. He is the translator of a New York Times bestselling book, "Steal Like an Artist."

Dawn

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