Many time-honoured institutions, traditions and practices are forging new paths in the era of COVID-19 – the growing list now also includes the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) event at Trent. 

With the cancellation of the live event, organizers looked for ways to get creative when eight grad students took up the challenge to present their research in just 180 seconds, and virtually.

Dr. Michael Eamon, principal of Catharine Parr Traill College and one of the organizers of the event, says while the platform may be different, the intent remains unchanged.

“The ability to take your life’s work up to this point and distill it down into a three-minute statement that says, ‘This is at the heart of what I’m doing’ is not easy to do. That skill – to think, distill and relate – is so important. This is not just about an education. It’s about how you can use that education to benefit others.”

3MT sees presenting students summarize their thesis in just 180 seconds, aided by just one visual in the form of a power point slide. Conceived by, and first held at, Australia’s University of Queensland in 2008, this is the eighth 3MT event hosted by Trent.

3MT “The Home Edition” goes live on Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. (EDT) with viewers being able to vote for their favourites until midnight on Sunday, May 24, 2020. Learn more at trentu.ca/3MT.