It was unexpectedly cold in Nanjing when the first inter-varsity English Speaking and Debating Competition was held in late December 2004. The six HKIEd students from the Bachelor of Education (Languages) and Bachelor of Education (Primary) programmes who took part, however, were warmed by the exciting ambience.

The competition comprised two sections, the Debating Contest and the Speaking Contest. Motions for the debates ranged from serious ones such as "euthanasia should be legalised" to more light-hearted ones such as "mixed-gender dormitory residence should not be allowed in universities." The process was exciting but entertaining. The formal parliamentary style of debate adopted in the contest was totally unfamiliar to the HKIEd team, but they were soon manoeuvring with ministerial tenor. "I felt like John Kerry, having a presidential debate with George W. Bush," reflected Simon Hung, Year 4, Bachelor of Education (Languages) student, who took the Best Debater for the Final Round.