Qatar University hosts first National 3MT Competition

Doha: Qatar University (QU) hosted the first National 3MT Competition with the participation of six local universities as part of its keenness to strengthen collaborations among universities in Qatar. 

The 3MT Competition is an academic competition that challenges Masters and Ph.D. students to describe their research to a general audience within three minutes. The 3MT Competition celebrates the discoveries made by graduate students and encourages them to communicate the importance of their research to the broader community.

QU has successfully conducted this event annually over the past four years, and this year is taking the competition to the national level. Universities participating include Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Al Rayyan International University College (ARIU), Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts in Qatar (VCUarts-Qatar), Texas A&M University, Qatar (TAMU-Q), and the University of Calgary-Qatar.

Seventeen finalists representing the seven institutions presented the significance of their thesis research in three minutes to a panel of distinguished judges and a general audience of nearly 500 attendees at the hybrid event. 

H E Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh bin Khalifa Al Naimi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, opened the national finals by noting the increase in higher education institutions in Qatar in recent years, particularly in the private sector, which provides more opportunities for students in Qatar to pursue higher education.     

QU President, Dr. Hassan Rashid Al Derham, said, “The National 3MT competition is another good step on the path to strengthening collaboration among higher education institutions in Qatar and for encouraging talents and building capabilities. Its returns are not limited to the prizes awarded to winners, but rather a bridge between contestants and the audience and a move towards the labour market as strong researchers and scholars who are ready for the challenge of leading the progress and prosperity of society.”

Taking first place and a cash prize of QR15,000 was Sara Amani from the doctoral programme in Interdisciplinary Engineering at Texas A&M, Qatar.  In her winning presentation, Sara spoke about her research investigating the attractiveness of the engineering profession among women in Qatar. 

Nour Hisham Al Ziftawi from QU’s College of Pharmacy took second place and a cash prize of QR10,000 for presenting her research comparing the safety, effectiveness, and affordability of two breast cancer treatment medications. Third place and a prize of QR7,000 was awarded to Muhammad Danyal Imam of the Master of Science programme in Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M, Qatar, to present his research on photocatalysis and the development of green hydrogen as an alternative fuel. 

Additionally, the audience-voted People’s Choice Award was presented to Amani Allouh of the Curriculum and Instruction programme at QU’s College of Education for presenting her research on teacher self-efficacy during emergency online teaching in government schools in Qatar. 

In her address to the competition winners and other national finalists, Professor Mariam Al Maadeed, QU Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies, said, “You are all role models for the quality of graduate research in Qatar, and you have proudly represented your universities today.”