On October 30^th, 2010, the 4^th National German Debating Competition at Universities, hosted by the German Teaching Sub-Committee under Steering Committee of Foreign Language Teaching in Colleges and Universities, Ministry of Education, and undertook by Institute of German Studies, SIS, ZJU, dropped the curtain successfully in the international conference center of ZiJinGang campus. This contest was a national and professional competition  representing the highest level of German education in colleges and universities. There were 35 teams participated in the contest in all. Through the selections time after time, Zhou Chenying in Grade 2007 and Wang Senhu in Grade 2009, both from our university finally won the second prize. Beijing Foreign Studies University continued the championship.

  This debating competition lasted for one day and a half. On the morning of 29^th, after a brief and grand opening ceremony, the 35 teams were divided into four groups anonymously for competition. According to many criteria, including language ability and debating skills, eight winning teams were selected by German and Chinese experts to enter the quarterfinals after first-day contest. Through the quarterfinals, semifinals and final on the morning of 30^th, our students eventually won the runner-up with their steady language basis, broad knowledge, sharp style, and practiced debating skills. This achievement manifested the rapid development of ZJU in German discipline.

  In the closing and awarding ceremony, Doctor Roehr, the Consul General of Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Shanghai, Doctor Treter, vice president of Goethe Institute (China), and Prof. Cong Mingcai, the representative of German Teaching Sub-Committee under Steering Committee of Foreign Language Teaching, and Mr. Wang, the general manager of Germany Bosch Power Tools (China) Co., Ltd, all made speeches in succession. They appreciated ZJU for the high-level organization and praised the excellent performance of all the participated teams. Prof. Fan Jieping, the Deputy Secretary-General of ZJU and leader of our German discipline, attended the meeting from his busy schedule as well. He particularly pointed out that what was really important for us was to learn German critical thinking and culture, but not the competition result itself. Ms. Wang Lingling, deputy party secretary of SIS also attended and awarded winners and winning teams the certificates and prizes with other experts from home and abroad.

  After the tense contest, under the organization of Institute of German Studies, teams made a half-day pleasure trip in Hangzhou and communicated with each other more deeply in beautiful scenes.

(Translated by LIU Xiaoxuan)