Doctoral students – register now for the “Ma thèse en 180 secondes” - win a place in the international final in Montreal Canada

IUA are delighted to announce the upcoming “Ma thèse en 180 secondes” national competition, organised in partnership with the Association des études françaises et francophones d’Irlande, the French Embassy and the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie.

Doctoral Students – Join us on 28th May 2022 in UCD and share your passion for your thesis subject while you test your French oral skills! You will have 3 minutes to present your research to a non-specialist audience.

The exact date and location will be confirmed as soon as possible. It is planned that the competition will take place face-to-face, not online.

The first prize winner of the competition will also have the opportunity to participate in the international final in Montreal (Canada) on 6 October 2022, with travel and subsistence expenses covered by the competition organisers!

Ready to face the challenge?

New this Year

Candidates will be offered training in public speaking by a professional in order to prepare their presentation!

Participation

All participants must be doctoral students at an Irish higher education or research institution and present their PhD thesis subject in French in 3 minutes (180 seconds), for a general and non-specialist public.
Presentations should be clear, concise and convincing.

The deadline for sending your completed registration form is 14th of April 2022.

The competition will take place in UCD, on the afternoon of Saturday 28 May.

Registration
Registration for participation in the competition is now open

The registration form must be sent to sugruej@tcd.ie before April 14th, 2022.

Prizes

  • There will be a range of amazing prizes for several speakers; these will be announced soon !
  • In addition, the overall winner will also have the opportunity to participate in the international MT180 final in Montreal (Canada) on 6 October 2022, with travel and subsistence expenses covered by the competition organisers!

Award ceremony

The prize winners will be announced after the jury deliberation, immediately after the competition on 28th May 2022.

Contact information

For any further information, do not hesitate to contact Jamie Sugrue, MT180 project officer,  at sugruej@tcd.ie

Eligibility

To take part in MT180, participants must meet the following eligibility conditions:

  • be registered or have been registered in a higher education or research institution in Ireland; • be registered or have been registered in a higher education or research establishment in a research doctoral program with the writing of a thesis (PhD) or have obtained their doctorate during the twelve months preceding the international final ;
    • present a sufficient state of progress of the doctoral research project;
    • express themselves in French.

Just send the registration form below!

Oral presentation
  • the oral presentation must be given in French;
  • no props, other than note sheets, will be allowed: no laser pointer, no clothing accessories used specifically for the presentation, etc.;
Visual support

Visual support:
• candidates may accompany their presentation with a visual support. It is not mandatory, but strongly recommended. Only one non-animated slide is allowed.
• the text on the slide must be in French;
• applicants must ensure that the images used are royalty-free or ensure that they have permission from the authors of the images for use in this competition;
• neither the name of the participating doctoral student nor the logo of their university should appear on the slide;
• the slide must respect the format, size and definition requested as indicated above
• the title of the presentation written on the slide may differ from that of the doctoral thesis, in order to suit a non-specialist audience

Evaluation criteria

The members of the jury will evaluate the presentations given by the doctoral students according to three main criteria:

Public speaking skills and engagement
For example:

• Has the participant demonstrated the qualities of a speaker (rhetoric and eloquence): clear and confident voice, rhythm, fluidity of movement, presence, etc.
• Did the participant communicate their passion for their topic of study?
• Did the participant arouse public curiosity about their topic?
• Has the participant indicated a personal interest or possibly links with society?

Popularization
For example :

  • Did the participant explain the concepts or ideas in accessible language?
    • Did the participant use figures of speech, relevant examples or humour to illustrate their point?

Structure of the presentation
For example :

  • Did the structure of the presentation and the flow of ideas facilitate understanding of the subject?
    • Did the participant clearly explain the research they are conducting?
    • Were the different parts (introduction, development, conclusion) of the presentation balanced?

“Coup de coeur”

Particularly exceptional point left to the discretion of the jury member. This may include emphasizing the originality of the candidate’s presentation.