While many students were celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday, debaters from BASIS International & Bilingual Schools China (BIBS • C) logged in for early-morning rounds, delivered speeches, and defended arguments against some of the strongest competitors in the world. They competed at the Stanford Invitational and the Harvard National Speech & Debate Tournament, two of the most prestigious high school tournaments in the world. By the time the tournaments concluded, they had achieved historic results for the network.
In total, more than 130 BIBS • C students from nine campuses participated across the two events, going up against thousands of students from leading schools across the US and around the world. Against these highly competitive fields, BIBS • C students advanced to elimination rounds in multiple events and secured several landmark achievements for the network.
Reflecting on the students’ performance, Colin Malinak, BIBS • C Director of Speech and Debate, praised both their commitment and resilience. “Your courage in stepping onto these stages—and even into early-morning Zoom rounds during Lunar New Year—is an inspiration,” he said. “These results reflect the dedication of our students, the support of our families, and a growing community of debate across China that continues to push standards higher each year.”
Landmark Wins at Stanford
At the 40th Annual Stanford Invitational, BIBS • C students delivered a breakthrough performance, including two championship titles and numerous elimination-round appearances.
Representing BASIS International School Shenzhen, two students captured tournament championships in their respective events: Fiona F., a ninth grader, took first place in Original Oratory (Junior Varsity), while Ava T., a tenth grader, claimed the championship in Program of Oral Interpretation (Varsity).
“Winning at Stanford was unexpected and unforgettable, especially sharing the journey with my teammates.” –Ava T., Grade 10, BASIS International School Shenzhen
These events drew top speakers from across the United States and internationally, requiring students to combine strong communication skills with deep research, critical thinking, and emotional insight.
Students from BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen, BASIS International School Shenzhen, and BASIS International School Hangzhou also advanced to elimination rounds and placed in multiple categories, including Original Oratory (Varsity and Junior Varsity), Program of Oral Interpretation (Varsity), Humorous Interpretation (Junior Varsity), Duo Interpretation (Varsity), Impromptu and Informative Speaking (Novice and Junior Varsity), Public Forum Debate (Open and Middle School divisions).
Making History at Harvard
Just days later, BIBS • C students traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to compete at the Harvard National Speech & Debate Tournament, widely considered the largest and most prestigious high school speech and debate tournament in the world.
This year marked a major milestone for the network: for the first time in BIBS • C history, a student advanced to the final round at Harvard.
In Congressional Debate (Junior Varsity), Benjamin W, a ninth grader from BASIS International School Guangzhou, reached the final round and placed fourth in a field that included hundreds of competitors from the U.S. and beyond.
“Placing fourth at Harvard was an unforgettable experience made possible by the support of my team and coaches, and the chance to connect with so many talented peers.” –Ben W., Grade 9, BASIS International School Guangzhou
This achievement is especially notable given the scale of the tournament and the traditionally U.S.-dominated nature of Congressional Debate, a uniquely American format that emphasizes legislative procedure, policy analysis, and persuasive argumentation.
Students from eight BIBS • C campuses, including BASIS International School Guangzhou, BASIS International School Shenzhen, BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen, and BASIS International & Bilingual Schools Chengdu, also advanced to out-rounds across several events, including Congressional Debate (Junior Varsity), Original Oratory (Varsity), Program of Oral Interpretation (High School), and Public Forum Debate (Junior Varsity). These results show that BIBS · C students are not only adapting to unfamiliar formats — they are excelling in them.
Beyond Stanford and Harvard
While the Stanford Invitational and Harvard National Speech & Debate Tournament marked major milestones for BIBS • C students this season, they were only part of a broader wave of achievements across international debate competitions. During the same holiday period, students from the network were also advancing in globally recognized tournaments that demand extensive research, policy analysis, and high-level argumentation. These results highlight the expanding reach of speech and debate across BIBS • C campuses and show that students are beginning to leave their mark on multiple stages of global competition.
Historic Progress in the International Public Policy Forum
The International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) is one of the world’s most rigorous global writing and debate competitions, and this year, BIBS • C made history there, too.
Founded in 2001, the IPPF is unique among debate competitions in requiring teams to compete in both written and oral debate. This year’s competition began in October 2025 with a record field of 332 teams from 39 countries.
A team from BASIS International School Shenzhen advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, the Top 16 of the competition—an achievement that is historic on several levels. This is the first time in BIBS • C history that a team has reached the IPPF Top 16, and they did so as the only team from China among this year’s Sweet Sixteen. Over the past five competition years, this BIBS • C team is only the second team from all of China to advance this far.
“IPPF challenges you to sit with complexity. What I’ve come to appreciate most is that meaningful policy lives in the tension between hope and practicality, between the vision of what the world ought to look like and the hard, unglamorous work of figuring out how to get there. IPPF taught us that neither alone is sufficient, and that the willingness to hold both at once is itself a skill worth developing.” –Alice Wu, Grade 10, BASIS International School Shenzhen
Reaching the Sweet Sixteen places BIBS • C among a highly selective group of international debate programs recognized for excellence in research, writing, and policy analysis.
Breaking New Ground at Oxford Schools’ Finals
During the same holiday break, Sam H. and Harry Z. from BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour advanced to the Oxford Schools’ China Rounds National Final, earning the opportunity to compete at Finals Day in Oxford.
Each year, nearly two thousand students from more than 250 schools across the UK and Ireland take part in Oxford Schools’, alongside hundreds more from over twenty countries through its international rounds.
Finals Day is held at the historic Oxford Union, one of the world’s most renowned debating societies, and a forum that has hosted some of the most influential voices for nearly two centuries. For participating students, the experience is a rare opportunity to engage in rigorous debate within a setting long associated with intellectual exchange and public discourse.
“Attending Finals Day is both a chance to participate in the top debate competition and an incredible opportunity to engage with debaters from other countries.” –Harry Z., Grade 11, BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour
There’s No Debate: Our Network is on the Rise
This isn’t the story of one standout campus or one exceptional student. It’s the story of a network that has been steadily building a culture of speech and debate from the middle grades up through increasingly advanced high school competitions. Coaches collaborate across campuses, sharing strategies, tournament experience, and training resources, while students regularly compete alongside peers from other BIBS • C schools. Over time, they have formed a supportive intellectual community, where students sharpen their arguments, challenge one another’s thinking, and raise the level of competition each year.
Krish M. Tournament Champion in Informative Speaking
Last year, a student from BASIS International & Bilingual Schools Chengdu won a championship in Informative Speaking at the University of Pennsylvania Tournament of Champions, proof that BIBS • C students could do more than hold their own at elite U.S. competitions. They could win them. This year, students from even more campuses built on that momentum.
BIBS • C students are no longer simply participants in global speech and debate. They are becoming a force within it. And judging by this year’s results, they are just getting started.
