Three Minute Thesis

TIME AND PLACE: Thursday, 23rd April, 10–12 at Think Company Event Square (Terkko Health Hub, Haartmaninkatu 4).

PRESENTATIONS: TBA

TIME AND PLACE: Thursday, 23rd April, 14–16 at K1088, Info Centre Korona (Viikinkaari 11).

PRESENTATIONS: TBA

TIME AND PLACE: Monday, 27th April, 14–16 at C124, Exactum (Pietari Kalmin katu 5).

PRESENTATIONS: TBA

TIME AND PLACE: Wednesday, 29th April, 14–16 at Tekla Hultin (F3003), Main Building (Fabianinkatu 33).

PRESENTATIONS: TBA

TIME AND PLACE: Wednesday, 27th May, 17–19 at Think Corner (Yliopistonkatu 4).

FINALISTS: The winners of the campus contests (TBA) will be competing in the 3MT final.

In order to participate, you must be a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki and you must not yet have defended your thesis. 

Are only final stage doctoral researchers allowed to participate? No, you need not have a (nearly) finished PhD thesis to participate: we warmly welcome early-stage doctoral researchers to take part, as well. The point of the competition is not to argue for the conclusion of your thesis, but to give a non-specialist audience an idea of why your PhD research is interesting and important.

I competed in 2025, can I participate again in 2026? Yes, you are allowed to participate in the 3MT multiple times during your postgraduate studies.

Workshops

Get competition-ready with our presentation training workshops! The precontest webinar, organised online on 1st April, 13–15, is open and highly recommended to all contestants. The online workshop will cover the basics of preparing your presentation, and you’ll get to ask any questions you may have from Kaskas media’s experts and the contest organisers.

In addition, we will organise, in collaboration with Kaskas media, a live presentation training workshop for the campus contest winners on 12th May, 13–15. In the live workshop, you will receive guidance as well as personal feedback to help you take your presentation to the next level for the final.

Campus contests

Please see the dates and times of the campus contests above. Please note that you should only register for one campus contest. If your research takes place in multiple campuses, we will let you decide which contest you’d prefer to participate in. 

Final

The final will take place at Think Corner on Wednesday, 27th May, 17–19. Please make sure you can make it to the final in case you will be one of the winners (winner, runner-up, or People's Choice) of your campus contest! 

The presentations of the 3MT final will be filmed and pictures and videos of the final may be published on the University of Helsinki’s webpages or social media profile. 

The winner of the 3MT final will receive a 1000€ cash prize. The runner-up and the People’s Choice of the 3MT final will both receive 500€ prizes. (Please note that these prizes are taxable income.)

In addition, we will invite the winner of the 3MT final to represent the University of Helsinki in the in autumn 2026!

• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified. 
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs). 
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech. 
• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or movement) and is to be presented from the beginning of the oration. 
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted. 
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted. 
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final. 

Every competitor will be assessed on (1) the comprehension and content of the presentation as well as (2) engagement and communication. The judging panel is composed of 3–5 members representing different fields. Each criterion below is equally weighed.

Comprehension and content

• Presentation provided clear motivation, background and significance to the research question
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research

Engagement and communication

• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention

A link to a registration form for competitors will be updated on this website in March.

Spots are limited! If registrations for any campus contest exceed capacity, we’ll ensure fair representation from all doctoral programmes.