Twenty doctoral students competed this Thursday in the regional final of the “My thesis in 180 seconds” competition. Playing at home, the two researchers from Nîmes Université were a hit, pocketing three of the four prizes at stake.
Nîmes University has once again shown its quality in the eyes of higher education establishments in the region. As part of the “My thesis in 180 seconds” competition and more particularly the regional stage, the three competing students shone brightly. The principle is simple, almost brutal: three minutes, not one more, to present years of doctoral research, in a principle of popularization to the general public, with only a single visual support to be projected on a large screen.
Captivating people in a short time on a complex subject is the main difficulty. “And to popularize is not to simplify on the cheap, nor to betray one’s discipline or one’s science, it is to make shareable what would remain between advanced specialists. Research is made to be understood by society”expresses Patrick Rateau, vice-president of the council of studies and university life at Paul Valéry University.
Born in Australia under the name Three Minute Thesis, the format was adapted in the French-speaking world at the beginning of the 2010s, notably under the leadership of France Universities and the CNRS. Since then, the event has spread to several French-speaking countries, from Canada to Belgium, including Switzerland and many African countries.
The twenty candidates on stage • Sacha Virga
“It was important that an establishment like ours host this event, especially since we are one of the doctoral colleges that organize it”specifies Benoît Roig, president of Nîmes University. Twenty brilliant researchers from the Montpellier Academy paraded, each time touching on the world of science but above all in presentations that were sometimes theatrical and even humorous. “We can never talk enough about science in our everyday lives, which allows us to fight against conspiracy. It is there to help us think”assure Laurent Barbieri, délégué régional du CNRS.
The new municipal councilor responsible for higher education Nicolas Cadène attended the regional final, greeting all the partners of the operation: “This competition reveals both the richness and diversity of the research carried out in the region’s doctoral schools, and the capacity of science to go beyond these walls to meet the public. It allows young researchers to develop their skills in communication and popularization, but above all to bring their work to life in public space, where knowledge is more necessary than ever”.
Final ranking:
3e :Â Jeanne Nabydoctoral student at I2S (University of Montpellier), for her work on the“Contribution to the study of helical piles for the foundation of temporary structures in a maritime environment”
2e : Angel Palermo, doctoral student at Nîmes University in STAPS at the APSY-v laboratory, for her work on“The contributions of social design for the promotion of physical activity among seniors. HAS”
1e: Marie Arragon, doctoral student from Nîmes University in social and environmental psychology within the Apsy-v Laboratory and the UMR G-eau of INRAE for her work on the following subject  “Towards a reconciliation between institutional recommendations and individual adaptations to flood risk”
Prix du public :Angèle Palermo
Find the interview with Marie Arragon and Angèle Palermo, respectively 1st jury prize and public prize:
