Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

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

2025 3MT Competition

InstituteQ’s second 3MT competition was held at the Finnish Quantum Days 2025. The winners were:

Christa Schauman (Overall winner)
Aalto University
Managing hype in quantum computing

Alina Helena Sánchez Gallardo (People’s choice award)
University of Oulu
NV- centres in diamond. The power of one missing atom.

Read about the competition here

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