Three Minute Thesis Preparation Workshop

This workshop is primarily aimed at doctoral students who would like to take part in the sixth Hamburg Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT) on 25 August 2026. Speakers will be given preference when allocating workshop places, therefore you can only register for the waiting list.

Presenting your PhD thesis in just 3 minutes is a big communicative challenge. Tools of science communication can help you gain a meta perspective on your work, so that you can filter out the most important topics and core messages from the broad range of knowledge you’ve already created with your work.

In this workshop, we would like to provide you with some ideas on how to systematically develop a coherent presentation message for the event — using language and images effectively. Since you only have one slide to build your whole story, these impulses and tricks might help you prepare for it.

You will receive short introductions to topics such as: 

• How to formulate a core message extracted from your research
• How to find good analogies and metaphors to make your research tangible for non-experts
• How to feel comfortable on stage and make your presentation engaging
• How to work with key visuals, especially for a broader audience
• How to build up a short story of your topic with pictures only
• Where to find image and graphic sources to work with

HRA’s Project for Research Communication: This workshop is part of a larger research communication project which is funded by the Claussen-Simon-Stiftung.