KUCHING: The International Intervarsity Public Speaking Competition (IIPSC) 2026 concluded on a high note on Monday (June 22) with plans announced to expand the competition next year with more universities, new categories and wider international participation.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak rector Professor Dr Firdaus Abdullah Firdaus said the three-day event, now in its third year, had been a resounding success based on feedback received throughout the competition.
He said UiTM’s team this year was drawn from its debate association, which he noted has a track record of producing top-tier debaters who have gone on to compete at national, state and international levels.
He linked the competition’s value to global workforce trends, noting that post-pandemic skills assessments consistently rank digital skills and communication and social skills as the two most critical competencies for the future.
“I’m very happy to see our young generation now possess those skills,” he said, encouraging participants to continue excelling academically while staying engaged in their communities and future careers.
He added that public speaking builds self-confidence, sharpens communication and develops critical thinking and problem-solving – skills, he said, extend well beyond academic achievement into students’ future professional and industry careers.
Prof Firdaus said the university hoped to grow IIPSC into a larger annual fixture, with plans to introduce categories for secondary and primary school students, as well as community-level participation while inviting more international universities to take part.
“This is going to be not just once but we will have this also next year. We’ll make it bigger, more participation, more universities and more winners.”
The three-day event, organised by the Academy of Language Studies, UiTM Cawangan Sarawak, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak, saw 16 teams comprising 32 participants compete from UiTM Sarawak, IPGTAR, IPGBL, Kolej Komuniti Santubong, Swinburne University, Politeknik Betong, Sarawak Skills, i-CATS University, UNITAR, UNIMAS, and Universitas Pancha Bakti, Indonesia.
