Matariki 3MT | University of Tübingen

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) celebrates the research conducted by PhDs around the world. The competition was developed by The University of Queensland and aims to help students to develop their academic, presentation, and research communication skills. Competitors must present their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. They are allowed one PowerPoint slide, but no other resources or props.

This year, the University of Tübingen will participate in the 3MT® competition held by the Matariki network for its member institutions. For this, we will hold our own 3MT® video competition to determine, who our two contributors to the Matariki 3MT® video competition will be.

We are looking for PhD students who would like to participate both in our University of Tübingen 3MT® competition and - should they be voted the top 2 videos in a University-wide vote - also submit their video to the Matariki 3MT® competition.

In order to prepare our participants for our internal competition as well as the Matariki 3MT® competition (should they be voted top 2), we offer a prep workshop. You can sign up for the workshop below.

Please note: In order to participate in the Univesity of Tübingen 3MT® competition you need to take part in the preparatory workshop at least once. Participants who have already taken part in the Univesity of Tübingen 3MT® competition may submit a new video in a following year. The new video needs to present new findings and a development in the presentation needs to be clear. We reserve the right to ask for further revisions should the video be too close to the previous submission by the same participant.

Schedule for the 2024 3MT® competition:

July 11th: preparatory workshop takes place (mandatory for participation in the competition)
August 30th: Submission deadline for University of Tübingen 3MT®
Early September: University-wide vote on videos
End of September: Submission deadline for Matariki 3MT®

The Matariki Network of Universities (MNU) is an international group of seven leading universities; each amongst the first-established in its own country. MNU member institutions promote excellence in research-led education and conduct transformative research across a broad subject base. They promote a combination of academic learning and personal growth through extracurricular activities in diverse scholarly communities, to develop well-rounded citizens of the world and leaders of the future. You can read more about the network here.

The network has held a 3MT® competition for several years now. Tübingen has won the competition in 2021. You can read our winner's statement below and watch the 2021 videos here.

Preparatory workshop (click on the cross to see more and sign up)

Presenting your Research in a 3-Minute Video: Prep Course

Thursday, July 11th, 09:00 - 13:00, with Salina Weber (RHET AI Center)

As a special training opportunity for Matariki 3MT® candidates, this workshop prepares the future contestants and allows them to practice their 3-minute presentations. They receive supportive feedback to develop their presentation skills.

In addition to having a concrete look at the participants’ presentations, the program also includes interactive exercises on effective science communication and rhetorical skills, with a special emphasis on presenting your own research in front of a camera.

The workshop is devised and conducted by the Rhetoric Department and part of the overarching communication concept “Sharing Knowledge” at Tübingen University.

More information on the course and preparation material will be shared by the trainers a few weeks before workshop. The workshop is obligatory for the competition participation.

Please note that registration for the workshop is binding and that the normal rules of the Graduate Academy course program apply. Places are limited. Please register by June 27th 2024. Participants need to be accepted as a doctoral candidate by their Faculty/PhD program in order to be eligible to participate in the competition. Participation in the competition is of course voluntary, but all course participants are invited and encouraged to submit their videos for the University of Tübingen 3MT® competition.

"I enjoyed participating at the 3MT event of the Matariki network! Besides getting in touch with other excellent scientists from other universities it was a great chance to practice presenting my doctoral project in an exciting way. I have never shot a video about my thesis and it was an interesting experience. I like 3MT format because it pushes you to explain your project in a short but concise way. I'd recommend everyone, who is interested in science communication, to participate in this event, since you cannot only win an award, but also learn a lot throughout the process. Furthermore its also a great opportunity to present your project to a broader audience, which expands the impact of your research results. I am thankful for being able to represent the University of Tübingen and for the constructive support of the Garduiertenakademie of the university. "

Moritz Koch

Winner of MT3 2021