Overall winner at the national 3MT competition
Once again, Rene Nsanzubuhoro from the Department of Civil Engineering was awarded the first prize and the People’s choice award but this time at the Nationals 3MT competition which was held at the University of the Free State on 26 October.
In September, Rene Nsanzubuhoro was the UCT winner in the Science category of UCT’s 3MT or Three Minute Thesis competition where students were given just three minutes to explain their entire PhDs to a public audience. Rene also received the People’s Choice Award. His presentation, entitled Pipe Condition Assessment Device for Assessing the Condition of Water Pipelines, looked at the identification of leakage in water reticulations systems.
At the national finals, ten PhD candidates from across the country presented their PhD work in three minutes. A new presentation had to be made for the finals, and again only one PowerPoint slide could be used.
Rene was announced as the overall winner, and he received the People’s Choice Award. The presentations were judged on how they helped a non-specialist audience to understand their research and how they engaged and communicated with the audience.
Rene said, “I got to meet some incredible fellow PhD candidates who are doing some really good work. So, I’m honoured to have won both: the first prize and the people’s choice award. Overall, it was such a pleasure participating in the National finals.”