This week, the University held its eighth final of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. Eight student finalists battled it out to be this year’s winner and earn a place in the UK 3MT® Semi Final orgainised by Vitae.

3MT® celebrates the exciting research conducted by doctoral students around the world. Developed by The University of Queensland, the competition cultivates academic, presentation, and research communication skills by challenging students to present their entire thesis - usually around 80,000 words - in just three minutes. Students are allowed to use one Powerpoint slide and no other resources.

This year’s finalists were:

  • Aida Maaz, Pharmacy and Pharmacology
  • Hannah Hogarth, Education
  • Harindi Jayakody, Chemical Engineering
  • Taghried Abdelmagid, Architecture and Civil Engineering
  • Grace Maxted, Electronic and Electrical Engineering
  • Joe Knapper, Physics
  • Jessie Hamill-Stewart, Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • Ozge Koca, Education

The judging panel, Professor Sarah Hainsworth (Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research), Hannah South, Oli Schofield and Mike Richardson (2022 University of Bath 3MT® Winner), scored students based on comprehension, content and audience engagement before retiring to deliberate and make their selection.

Harindi Jayakody won first place, impressing the judges with her presentation ‘Developing sensitive and accessible diagnostic tests for COVD-19’. Harindi earns a commemorative plate and a place in the 3MT® UK semi-final which will be held in July. Harindi said:

Participating at the 3MT competition was a surreal experience. As I move into the final stages of my PhD, with the hope of moving into a role in industry that relies on effective communication, the opportunity to take part in the 3MT competition has boosted my confidence! I am grateful to the university and the doctoral college for giving us the opportunity to attend a live event and for the mentoring and support provided during the training period.

Aida Maaz was awarded second place with her presentation 'A sniff to the brain'. Aida said:

For me, the 3MT experience was challenging and exciting in equal measure. It was amazing to share my research with people from different backgrounds in such an efficient and engaging way.

We would like to thank everyone who took part in 3MT® 2022. See you in 2023!