A year's research in three minutes or less

One of the more difficult tasks for university researchers is explaining their research to people outside of their field. But as Mukhbir Singh, an organizer of the first ever Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT™) at Concordia, insists, the ability to explain one’s research in simple terms can come in handy in the real world.

“Let’s say you’re in a job interview and they ask you to explain your thesis. You have to be able to concisely explain your research but in easy-to-understand terms, and this is where the values lies in such a contest,” Singh says.

The 3MT was created at the University of Queensland in Australia in 2008. It is a presentation contest where students have the opportunity to explain their research topic in simple language to a diverse non-specialist audience. This year, Concordia will hold the first ever 3MT competition in Quebec.

“You’re giving students the opportunity to talk about what they’ve been working on for the last year,” says Singh, a master’s student currently completing his own research at the John Molson School of Business. “But the spin is they have to do so in very easy-to-understand terms in just under three minutes.”

Singh is the JMSB member of the GradProSkills team, which is responsible for bringing the competition to Concordia. As he explains, students who participate in the contest will learn invaluable communications and presentations skills, which is a main part of the mission of GradProSkills. “These are skills that we are trying to develop in the workshops held through GradProSkills,” he says.

Since this is the first year the contest will be held at Concordia, there are no limits set on how many students can sign up, and the contest is open to all Faculties. If the contest is a success, then Singh says it’s likely that in the future each department will have to hold its own qualifying event, before a campus-wide final decides the overall winner.

Every year, over 40 schools, including the University of British Columbia, hold 3MT contests. “In a lot of those schools, they have first rounds, then university finals, and then the finalists move on to an inter-university competition,” Singh explains.

So far, the graduate program directors Singh has talked to are very receptive to the idea of the 3MT contests. “Of course, they all want to show off the research that’s been going on in their programs, and this is a good venue to show it off,” he says.

To take part in the event, register before March 14 and attend the information sessions offered through GradProSkills, listed on the website. The Call to Participation outlines the steps.

Watch a video of 3MT at Monash University (Australia):



Related link:
•  Concordia 3MT Contest Page