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Annual Speech Contest between BGU and LUJ a Success
By Adeena Rehman
“Communication is ...” was the 2026 theme for the LUJ and Bunkyo Gakuin University (BGU) English presentation contest, back for its 5th year on Wednesday November 4th. Five EAP students in LUJ's English for Academic Purposes program (EAP) delivered polished and intriguing presentations, their preparation and rehearsal beginning several weeks in advance.
LUJ Professor Patrick Parr and BGU’s Yasuhiro Arai took charge of the event while Dr. David O’Connell and Ms. Adeena Rehman supported and coached EAP participants through speech development and delivery. The contest was assessed by a four-member panel comprising of two representatives from LUJ, Mr. Charles Laurier (Dean of LUJ) and Mr. Roger Grabowski (Professor of General Studies) and two from BGU: Professor Kaori Fairbanks (Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Studies) and Professor Gary Ireland.
The contest was held at the Jin-ai Hall on Bunkyo Gakuin University's Hongo Campus. The ten participants from both universities excelled in their performances and left judges with some tough decisions to make.
LUJ contestant Jiawei Liang was named the 2nd place winner, while the 1st and 3rd positions were secured by BGU contestants. Winners in all three categories received trophies along with Disneyland tickets as prizes. Battling nerves, the other LUJ participants delivered strong performances and secured prizes in other categories thanks to the cheering and support from LUJ attendees, both students and faculty.
Kai Matsuura won the "Best of LUJ" trophy while ¥3,000 worth of Amazon cards were awarded to the rest of the participants under the following honors: Reika Kusunoki (Attractive Involvement), Nagisa Enji (Beautiful Message), and Mitsuki Okano (Most Inspiring).
The contest continues to grow each year under the ongoing partnership between LUJ and BGU, with promise for an even brighter future.
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