Three minute thesis event hosted for London doctoral researchers
Last month, the Future Space team together with the London PGR support team put on a pitching competition to help support doctoral researchers to develop their public speaking skills.
The 3-Minute 'Real World' Thesis Competition challenged those taking part to translate their thesis down into 'real-world' concepts. To pitch their thesis to an audience of small business owners and expert judges – and all in just 3 minutes!
Six plucky PhD candidates stepped up to the challenge. They pitched in front of partners on the campuses innovative Collaborate and Digital Skills programmes. Judges included local Councillors, strategy and policy experts and a member of a global consultancy.
One of the organisers and Deputy Director of Doctoral Programmes, Dr Jessica Noske-Turner, said:
"Speaking to audiences about your research is a hugely important skill as part of your PhD. The opportunity to pitch and get feedback from those using research in their everyday work was great for all those involved. Whether our PhD candidates plan for academic careers, or a research career in industry, events like these are so important to test and build communication skills."
Ben Cole, Head of Strategic Projects and Future Space said:
"Unlocking the value of our research is a core objective of Loughborough University London's Future Space team. Events like these offer a window into our research for external organisations and a window out to industry for all our students. It was great to see so many doctoral researchers step up to the challenge."
Pitches came from researchers looking at big questions in design, sport, the creative and cultural industries, digital technology, and management. The winning pitch came from Julia Giese who's research looks at the Partition of British India, and its impact on British Asian communities. Julia said:
"The competition was such a helpful exercise in improving how we go about communicating our work. The dual discipline of thinking about my audience and condensing my research into such a short time frame was challenging but helpful in thinking how I will continue to communicate about my work."
One of the judges for the event, Dr Sebastian Fuchs of Global HR Consulting firm Mercer, said:
"Hearing about the wide range of research being undertaken at Loughborough University London was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational experience. I particularly enjoyed meeting the PGR students and seeing them showcase their work. To condense such comprehensive research studies into 3-minute presentations certainly is not an easy task. I commend the students and the Future Space team for offering this opportunity."
The Future Space team has been working this year to provide improved careers-building initiatives for PhD candidates. The competition formed part of this support. For more information keep an eye on our events pages.