Together for the popularization of science
Signing of the cooperation agreement for the organization of the Three Minute Thesis® (3MT®) competition. Pictured are Prof. Mariusz Malinowski, Vice-Rector for Research at the Warsaw University of Technology, and Prof. Marcin Sobczak, Vice-Rector for Research and Technology Transfer at the Medical University of Warsaw.
How can complex research be presented in just a few minutes and without the aid of scientific props? This is the challenge faced by participants in the Three Minute Thesis® (3MT®) competition. This year, the competition will be held at the Warsaw University of Technology for the third time, but for the first time in an expanded format, jointly organized with the Medical University of Warsaw. The agreement to this effect was signed by Prof. Mariusz Malinowski, Vice-Rector for Research at the Warsaw University of Technology, and Prof. Marcin Sobczak, Vice-Rector for Research and Technology Transfer at the Medical University of Warsaw.
Three Minute Thesis® (3MT®) is a science communication competition established by the University of Queensland in 2008 and now held at nearly 1,000 universities across almost 100 countries. It is open to doctoral students, who have just three minutes to present their research in English. Participants are not allowed to use presentations, multimedia, or props. Instead, they may rely only on a single static slide displayed on the screen. The goal is to make the presentation engaging and compelling while ensuring that it is accessible to people without specialist knowledge of the topic or field.
The competition is divided into three stages: the submission phase, the preliminary round, and the grand final. During the final, participants selected in the preliminary round present their research before a jury and an audience attending both in person and via the online livestream. The best presentations receive awards.
So far, two editions of the 3MT® competition have been held at the Warsaw University of Technology, with participation limited to WUT doctoral students. This year, that will change with the Medical University of Warsaw joining the competition. Under the terms of the cooperation agreement, each university will organize its own submission phase and preliminary round, while the grand final will be held jointly at the Warsaw University of Technology. Six doctoral students from each university will compete in the final. WUT and the Medical University of Warsaw will cooperate at every stage of the competition, particularly in recruiting participants, appointing the juries for both the preliminary round and the final, and coordinating the event’s communication and promotion.
The joint edition of the 3MT® competition organized by the Warsaw University of Technology and the Medical University of Warsaw will take place in autumn 2026. A detailed schedule will be announced soon.