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By Hollie Knapp-Fisher, Communications Intern

Queen’s will host its annual 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition on March 27 and March 28 featuring over 20 graduate student participants.

3MT gives master’s and PhD students a chance to present their research to a panel of non-expert judges in three minutes using only one slide and no props. The competition takes place in two heats with the top students competing in a final panel on April 9.

“The real challenge is to effectively communicate with the audience without using too much technical jargon,” says first-time participant John Forster, a master’s student studying mining engineering. “Understanding the research culture is important and although it will be difficult to do in three minutes, I am looking forward to the challenge.”

Developed by the University of Queensland in 2008 to promote effective communication of research, Queen’s was the first Ontario university to host a 3MT Competition in 2012 and the first to host a provincial-wide event the following year. This event provides students, staff and faculty with a unique opportunity to learn about the significant research being undertaken by graduate students at Queen’s. 

PhD candidate Frank Secretain was a 3MT finalist in 2013.

“With students participating from different fields, this sort of competition should help to build up a better inter-disciplinary atmosphere amongst the graduate students at Queen’s,” says Kurosh Amoui-Kalareh, a master’s student in Religious Studies and a first-time 3MT participant.  “I would highly recommend taking advantage of an opportunity like this to impact even a small group of people.” 

While the event is a competition, 3MT also gives participants a platform to share what they have been working on during their time at Queen’s and expand their knowledge of the range of research happening on campus. 

“I really believe that research should not be separated into individual silos,” says Jasmin Ma, a master’s candidate in Kinesiology and Health Studies, who is competing in 3MT for the second time. “Our research is important to us and being able to share it with the public means a lot. It’s an opportunity to share our passion.”