‘The ultimate test’ CAP celebrates first in-person College 3MT since 2018
The ANU College of Asia and the Pacific hosted the first in-person College 3-Minute-Thesis (3MT) competition since 2018. The event brought together contestants from across our Schools to compete for the $500 grand prize and a chance to progress into the ANU 3MT final.
Ashley Schram, Associate Dean of Higher Degree Research (HDR), hopes to see 3MT return as a fixture event at the College.
“I hope 3MT will become one of the highlights of the academic calendar year at CAP,” she said.
Professor Schram believes the competition plays a vital role in connecting PhD scholars across our Schools.
“Revitalising CAP 3MT is a fun opportunity to provide our students with a platform to share their research and build cross-College engagement,” she added.
The winner of this year’s competition was Pascale Taplin from the National Security College in our Crawford School of Public Policy who joined via Zoom from Darwin. Her presentation covered the dangers of conspiracy theories and misinformation. Ms Pascale says winning the competition was a humbling experience given the intense competition she faced from her fellow HDR students.
“I thought the other contestants were super impressive and conveyed their complex projects very well,” she said.
The 3MT competition provides a unique opportunity for our students to hone their communication skills and think about the key information in their thesis. Ms Pascale says the competition offered her a chance to refine her research and gain better clarity over her future goals.
“Deciding what to leave out of the 3MT presentation helped me narrow down what I really want from my research,” she said.
The $ 250 second prize went to Jennifer Jackett, also from the National Security College in our Crawford School, with third place being awarded to Jalene Nalbant from our School of Culture, History and Language. This year's competition marks the first time students from the National Security College have taken out the first and second prizes.
Due to the requirements to attend the ANU 3MT final in person, the College will be represented by Jalene and Jennifer. They will have the chance to win the $4,000 grand prize and receive a $1,000 payment for making it through to the final.
Ms Jackett, who presented her research on techno-security, is eager to share her PhD journey in the final. As part of her thesis, the PhD scholar has interviewed over 80 former ministers, policymakers, and experts.
“It is the ultimate test. I’m excited to share my passion for tech geopolitics with a broad audience from across ANU and the wider community,” Ms Jackett said.
A key feature of 3MT is its networking opportunities and the ability to build a supportive HDR community. Jennifer was thankful the competition provided her with an opportunity to connect with her fellow PhD scholars from across the College.
Jalene Nalbant, who will take Ms Pascale’s place in the ANU final, will present their research on the first human arrival in the Belauan (Palauan) Islands over 3,000 years ago.
The College encourages any HDR students who would like to compete in next year’s event to get involved. Ms Taplin would like to see more PhD candidates taking the plunge at the 2025 competition.
“If you think it is impossible to explain your project in 3 minutes - you should and you can! Just do it!” she said.
The College congratulates everyone who competed in this year’s 3MT competition and wishes Jalene and Jennifer all the best in the ANU final. Join us in cheering them on.
