As a major competition hosted by the American Center at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, the 2024 Debate Competition attracted a large number of participants from students across the country.
In the preliminary round, the NewJeans team (comprising Nguyen Dang Loc, a fourth-year student, and Tran Thi Phuong Thao and Nguyen Thanh Quynh, both third-year students from the English Language and Culture Department at Dong A University) successfully advanced to the finals by surpassing many other competing teams.

It is known that in the preliminary round, contestants submitted videos on the topic “Is a liberal arts college education necessary to succeed in today’s world?” With impressive English debating skills, Dang Loc, Phuong Thao, and Thanh Quynh convinced the judges and advanced directly to the Top 6 teams nationwide participating in the “Final Round.”
The finals will officially take place on September 20, featuring direct knockout rounds across two phases at the American Center in Ho Chi Minh City. In the first round of the final competition, teams will debate against each other on a given topic. The team with the higher score will then advance to the second round—the decisive round of the finals. It is reported that the official topic for the teams to debate will be announced 20 minutes before the round begins.

The Debate Competition 2024 is an effective environment for honing English skills. It also serves as a platform to provide both basic and advanced knowledge and skills in the field of debating. Participating in this competition is an opportunity for Dong A University students to showcase their English skills, teamwork abilities, and skills in constructing coherent and persuasive arguments.
With the experience gained from competing in various arenas both inside and outside the university, along with the efforts of the Dong A University students, we hope that NewJeans will shine in the upcoming finals.