On May 1, Tianjin University obtained second prize in the World Mandarin Debating Championships.

The final topic for debate of the World Mandarin Debating Championships was "To pursue a valuable life, we should go far or return to our hometown?" The arguments centered on whether for the youth of today, do major cities provide higher platforms and more opportunities, or does it mean extra pressure and high-cost housing. On the other hand, by returning to your hometown, you can not only take care of your parents but also promote your hometown’s development, while there are also limits back in your hometown.

The Tianjin University debating team argued the affirmative view that “youth should go far away to pursue a valuable life", and the Nanjing University argued the negative view that "youth should return to hometown to pursue a valuable life." On the stage, debaters from two universities presented a hard-fought debate that was also witty and brilliant.

An affirmative (Tianjin University) argument was that the definition of home and distant places does not refer to the geographical distance, but to psychological intimacy. In order to pursue personal value, we should embrace challenges of the far-flung unknown.

An opposite (Nanjing University) argument was that there are also unknown places in our hometowns. The value of contemporary youth should be to create more chances by contributing to the construction of your own hometowns instead of thumbing a lift in the metropolis.

Another affirmative (Tianjin University) argument was that we should find a place that is more suitable for ourselves, which may not necessarily meet the needs of our hometown. The meaning of going far away is to think about the value of life in the process of contacting the unknown. Only when everyone finds the meaning of life, will a society be more harmonious and convenient.

In the audience, students from various universities raved over the ingenious words of debaters and judges. In the end, the Tianjin University debating team took second place. Yu Jianghao from Tianjin University, won the title as the best debater.

The four debaters of the Tianjin University debating team were all students taking science and engineering majors. They were: Jiang Yeqi, an undergraduate in the class of 2013 from the School of Architecture, Chen Sitong, an undergraduate in the class of 2015 from the School of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Li Mingtao, an undergraduate in the class of 2016 from the School of Microelectronics, and Yu Jianghao, an undergraduate in the class of 2013 from the School of Architecture.