InstituteQ 3MT Competition
InstituteQ hosts annually a Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition during the Finnish Quantum Days.
InstituteQ 3MT 2025
3MT 2025 Host
Rahinatou Njah Nchiwo Host & 3MT 2024 Winner
Doctoral Researcher at Aalto University
3MT 2025 Jury
Tzula Propp
Jury member
President at Diversity in Quantum
Jimmy Salermo
Jury member
Service Designer,
Coach & Speaker
2025 3MT Finalists
Alina Helena Sánchez Gallardo
University of Oulu
NV- centres in diamond. The power of one missing atom.
Kristiana Frei
Aalto University
Interacting with anyons in a 2D world
Christa Schauman
Aalto University
Managing hype in quantum computing
Anshika Mishra
Aalto University
Mapping magnetism at atomic scale
2025 3MT Semi-Finalists
Yucai Lin
Aalto University
Unveiling Light’s Hidden Dimensions All at Once
Teemu Pihkakoski
University of Oulu
Characterization and modeling of crosstalk in quantum computers
Alina Helena Sánchez Gallardo
University of Oulu
NV- centres in diamond. The power of one missing atom.
Kristiana Frei
Aalto University
Interacting with anyons in a 2D world
Maryam Darvishi
University of Jyväskylä
Josephson Effect at Arbitrary Disorder Strength in Systems with Generic Spin-Dependent Fields
Christa Schauman
Aalto University
Managing hype in quantum computing
Anshika Mishra
Aalto University
Mapping magnetism at atomic scale
Final Prizes (taxable):
• Winner: €1000
• People’s Choice: €500
This year all semi-finalists benefited from an expert workshop on science visualization and communication.
How to participate
1. Record a 1-minute video
Explain your thesis topic in plain language, aimed at a non-specialist audience.
- No slides
- Maximum 1 minute
- File name format: FirstName_LastName_University_3MT_2025
2. Submit your video via this form by June 3 at noon (CLOSED)
Note: You will NOT be judged on video or editing quality; only on your ability to clearly communicate your research to a non-specialist audience.
Next Steps
• Preliminary Screening: All submissions will be reviewed by a panel. Semi-finalists will be announced by mid-June.
• 3MT Workshop: Week 32
• Semi-final: Week 33
• Final: September 4 at Finnish Quantum Days 2025, hosted by Rahinatou Yuh Njah epouse Nchiwo, the winner of InstituteQ 3MT 2024.
Your final 3MT presentation will be judged by a jury panel based on the following criteria:
• Presentation provided clear motivation, background, and significance to the research question.
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research; and
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes, and impact of the research.
• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience.
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation.
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention.
Previous InstituteQ 3MT Competitions
2024 3MT Competition
InstituteQ’s first 3MT competition was held at the Finnish Quantum Days 2024. The winners were:
Rahinatou Yuh Njah epouse Nchiwo (Winner) – Aalto University
“Cryptanalysis of polynomial learning with errors”
Valter Uotila (Runner-up) – University of Helsinki
“Should we optimize data management with quantum computing?”
Tomas Fernández Bouvier (People’s choice award) – University of Helsinki
“Heat, cannons and computers”
The 3MT Competition was first organized by the University of Queensland in 2008. It has since expanded to include:
- 900 universities
- 85 countries represented
