Epsom College Malaysia students recently participated in the Oxbridge-Taylor’s Debating Forum held at Taylor’s Lakeside Campus, joining peers from other schools for a day of rigorous discussion and debate. The forum explored pressing global themes, particularly the impact of Artificial Intelligence across a range of sectors. For Nang Y. (Year 12) and Nexus K. (Year 11), the event was both intellectually stimulating and deeply rewarding.
The achievements of Nang Y. and Nexus K. highlight the confidence, intellectual curiosity, and communication skills nurtured within the Epsom community. Opportunities such as the Oxbridge-Taylor’s Debating Forum allow students to engage deeply with global issues while refining their ability to think critically and express ideas with clarity, skills that will serve them well in their future academic pursuits.
Here are some reflections from our students on their experiences at the forum:
Nang Y. (Year 12)
On 7 February, I had the opportunity to participate in the Oxbridge–Taylor’s Debating Forum. The event was centred around different themes of Artificial Intelligence, with participants divided into workshops spanning topics such as science, politics, and economics. I was assigned to research economic inequality relating to AI. I found my workshop particularly insightful and mentally stimulating, as attendees were encouraged to challenge each other’s perspectives.
After the debate, I was chosen to represent the group as first speaker in front of the entire forum. I was quite nervous, but I tried my best to remain composed and express my ideas as coherently as possible. To my surprise, I received the Best Speaker Award. Overall, the event exposed me to different styles of debating and improved my ability to articulate ideas clearly in speech.
Nexus K. (Year 11)
Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to participate in the Oxbridge Debate Forum at Taylor’s Lakeside Campus in Malaysia, and it was one of the most intellectually stimulating experiences I’ve had. The event brought together students from different schools, all passionate about debating and global issues. We were split into groups and assigned different motions across a range of themes, including education, economics, society and politics, technology, and the environment. The atmosphere was competitive yet collaborative, and from the start, it felt like we were stepping into a university-style debating environment.
Each theme explored complex, real-world issues. The education debates challenged us to think about reforming traditional systems and whether modern methods truly benefit students. In economics, we examined policies and market structures, weighing efficiency against fairness. The society and politics motions pushed us to evaluate governance, rights, and the role of institutions, while technology debates questioned the ethical and practical consequences of rapid innovation. Listening to other teams argue these topics broadened my perspective and exposed me to different styles of reasoning and rebuttal.
For my round, I debated the environmental motion: “This House Believes AI will improve sustainability and environmental protection”, where I was on the Opposition bench. After being split into teams, we spent time brainstorming arguments, structuring our case, and anticipating rebuttals. We discussed how AI, while powerful, can increase energy consumption through data centres, encourage overproduction, and create an overreliance on technological solutions instead of systemic behavioural change. As third speaker, my role was to rebut the government’s arguments, reinforce our team’s case, and summarise why we won the debate. It was challenging but rewarding to think critically under time pressure and respond strategically to the opposing team.
I was honoured to receive Best Third Speaker and for our team to be awarded Best Team overall. The experience strengthened my analytical thinking, teamwork, and public speaking skills. More importantly, it reminded me that debate is not just about winning arguments, but about engaging deeply with global issues and learning to defend your ideas with clarity and confidence.
Nang Y. and Nexus K.
Year 12 & Year 11 Student