The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland. Ph.D. researchers have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance. The idea behind it is to increase researchers’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills, capacities needed to effectively explain a research topic in three minutes and in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience .

Since its first launch by The University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® has been held in over 600 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide.

The 3MT® competition organised at the EUI is open to the Ph.D. researchers of all four EUI disciplines who have completed the 1st year of their studies and who have a clear outline and plan for their research.

The 3MT® competition will not be organised until further notice

How does it work?

  • Prepare a presentation of minimum 2 and maximum 3 minutes of your research topic. Only 1 static slide can be used to support the presentation.
  • Send a sample video of you speaking for 3 minutes to [email protected] .
  • The presentations are held live at the EUI.
  • They will be evaluated by a jury according to an established set of criteria and also by the audience (“people’s prize”).
  • The presentations will be filmed.
  • Certificates and prizes will be awarded to the top three winners.
  • The videos of the top three winners will be published on the EUI website and widely distributed through the institute’s social media channels.

Why participate?

  • To develop your ability to explain your work effectively to a non-specialized audience, a core skill when working in both academic and non-academic environments.
  • To help you identify your strengths and weaknesses when communicating a subject as complex as your research, in a clear and concise manner.
  • The video of your presentation can be added to your online profile and shared with people interested in your work.
  • Last but not least, you might win a prize!

 Watch a 3MT® presentation example

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