The stage was set. A thousand people had taken their seats. Stage lights were blaring. Cameras were circling. In the green room, 10 PhD students, 10 knotted stomachs. I have a weird interest in seeing how other people cope with pressure. Some use humour, some remain pessimistic. Some are humble, some are cocky. Some laugh, lots cry. All this nervous tension though, for only three minutes on stage.

Joshua Chu-Tan presenting his winning 3 Minute Thesis at the 2016 Asia Pacific finals

2016 Asia-Pacific 3MT Winner – Joshua Chu-Tan “Targeting the Root of Vision Loss” from Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) on Vimeo.

I’m referring to the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, an international competition where PhD students have to present their entire thesis, years and years of work, into a three-minute presentation with a single, static PowerPoint slide. Ludicrous, I know. However, amidst all the prize money and prestige of the competition, there was an important lesson to be learned, something that I feel is vital in the field of research – the art of communication. Here, I try to outline my thought process when writing my 3MT. Continue reading →