PhD students get ready: UC3MT is back for its 5th edition

^{Translation: Diana Taborda}

The “University of Coimbra 3-Minute Thesis Competition" - UC 3MT is an academic competition that challenges PhD students to present their thesis in 3 minutes. In the last edition, around 20 students from the University of Coimbra (UC) made it to the finals.

Robert Junqueira was the winner of the 4^th edition of UC 3MT. The student from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Coimbra (FLUC) and researcher at the FLUC Institute for Philosophical Studies won first place with his thesis "The Coimbra Jesuit School of Philosophy as a Source of the Semiotic Logic of Charles S. Peirce". Robert emphasises that participating in the UC 3MT was a valuable opportunity to reevaluate his thesis work and identify weaknesses, highlighting the unique challenge of condensing extensive doctoral research into a concise format. As he puts it, "In a dissertation you expand, but in UC 3MT you contract".

Junqueira further adds that “Participating in this initiative proved to be a great opportunity to push my limits and also to gain a bit of courage”. He encourages all UC PhD students to participate, assuring them that “it will be a fulfilling experience”.

Applications will be accepted until the 15^th of January 2024. To apply, candidates must complete an online form and submit a video where they deliver a 3-minute compelling oral presentation on the topic of their dissertation and why it's relevant.

The 20 best videos will advance to the next stage, where participants will receive eight hours of training in science communication. The UC 3MT winner will have the opportunity to compete in the finals of the Coimbra Group Universities - CG 3MT competition, provided they are selected as one of the top three from participating institutions.

Get all info here.