5 September 2016: A group of postgraduate students will put their speaking skills to the test and talk about national security, sport recovery, food safety, asthma and even identifying bacteria in less than 180 seconds during the University of Canberra final of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition TOMORROW.
This year, 16 researchers will compete by delivering entertaining and informative summaries of their work and the difference it will make to the world, in less time than it takes to boil an egg.
Competitors are required to turn what could normally fill an 80,000 word thesis into just 400 words or so and deliver it in an engaging way for an audience of non-experts.
The audience will hear a diverse range of topics including – how cultural differences between Australia and India are impacting our national security, the perfect temperature water for athletes to soak in after competition, how DNA analysis can help put a face on criminals, and what Charles Dickens can teach us about being financially savvy.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Frances Shannon said that it was critical for young researchers to develop good communication skills in parallel with the development of their research skills.
“For up-and-coming researchers being able to present and discuss their work with the community and business is just as important as being able to talk about it with experts and colleagues,” Professor Shannon said.
“In the future, these researchers will find that people with the capacity to award grants and funding are not experts in their field. So to be able to capture their attention, stimulate their imagination and maybe loosen a purse-string or two will be very important.”
The winner from the University of Canberra will be announced at the end of the event and will go on to compete at the Asia-Pacific final on 30 September at the University of Queensland.
Competitors include:
- Alison Childs: Stereotypes and slogans: young migrants' paths from education to work
- Cynthia Mathew: Promising SINES against asthma
- Elaine Cheung: Putting a face to the crime
- Fan Wu: Stopping the spread and recurrence of cancer from 'the seedlings'
- Gregory Mowle: What can Charles Dickens teach us about financial literacy?
- Judy Emily: Searching for value and counting the costs of the road less travelled
- Lien Tran: What should we do to keep key employees?
- Hayley Teasdale: Parkinson's and the plastic brain
- Sean Dicks: The bereavement experiences of families of potential organ donors
- Berenice Talamantes-Becerra: Current bacterial identification methods are likely to be wrong
- Florence Awino: Is our food safe?
- Rod Ubrihien: Environmental assessment using gene expression
- Helen Sellers: Talking to the tiger – how cultural perspectives between Australia and India influence our approaches to national security
- Jane Alver: Hear our voices – finding new spaces for women’s voices to be heard
- Barry Horgan: Water immersion recovery in sport
- Interviews with Professor Shannon and students can be arranged
WHAT: University of Canberra’s 3MT competition final
WHEN: Tuesday 6 September, 5.00pm – 6.30pm
WHERE: Ann Harding Conference Centre, Building 24, University of Canberra (campus map)
Contact the University of Canberra media team:
Claudia Doman: 0408 826 362
Marcus Butler: 0438 447 810