Every year, Aarhus University invites its PhD students to participate in the 3 Minute Thesis competition (3MT). In 2023, the competition was held in Stakladen at Aarhus University on 22 March 2023.
In 3MT, PhD students present their research project in three minutes for an audience of non-specialists with only one static slide – and no other resources. The PhD students are taken through a communication workshop and feedback sessions before the competition. This challenging exercise develops presentation, research and academic communication skills and supports the development of the researcher’s capacity to explain their work effectively and focus on rhetoric, body language, voice control and specific 3MT delivery skills.
The internal winner at AU receives a DKK 35,000 travel grant, and the video of the performance is submitted to the international competition held by the Coimbra Group of more than 35 European universities.
A Coimbra Group panel will then select the top three candidates, who will be invited to present at the Coimbra Group annual conference. In 2023, the annual conference was held on 31 May - 2 June in Cologne, Germany.
The 3MT was founded at University of Queensland, Australia in 2008 and is held at over 900 universities across more than 85 countries.
Ida Cecilie Jensen is a PhD at the Department of Ecoscience at Aarhus University. She was chosen by the judges as the 3MT overall winner at Aarhus University from a field of 15 strong competitors.
Title: The smelly feet of ants and their applications in agriculture
Ida won a travel grant in the amount of 35,000 DKK.
Ida won the final 3MT Competition in Cologne
On 1 June 2023 Ida participated in the overall Coimbra Group 3 Minute Thesis competition at the University of Cologne. Among 26 doctoral students she was choosen by the Coimbra Committee as one of the three finalist to participate in the final. Ida won the final and was awarded a first prize of 3,000 EUR. You can read more about the 3MT final here.
Milica Milic is a PhD at the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University. She was chosen as the People’s Choice winner in a vote in which 325 audience members participated.
Title: How to make bioplastics - just add sugar
Milica won two AU cups, an AU thermos bottle and an AU notebook.
What have they learned from participating in the competition?
