My thesis in 180 seconds: all eyes on the finish line!

All audiences

With the conclusion of the national finals in Grenoble on June 13, attention has turned to the international championship of the French-speaking world, which will take place in Dakar, Senegal, on September 26.

Tom Mébarki, a doctoral candidate in musicology at the University of Aix-Marseille, took the national honors, winning over both the jury and the audience. He will represent France at the international finals in Dakar, to be held under the aegis of an international committee that includes the multinational association of French-speaking universities.

Ma thèse en 180 secondes (My thesis in 180 seconds) is a contest of eloquence in the French language. Organized by France’s Conference of University Presidents and the CNRS (National Council for Scientific Research), the competition is open to all doctoral candidates, irrespective of field, willing to attempt to explain their research topic in three minutes. They must do so simply and convincingly, in terms that a general audience can understand.

Nearly 600 doctoral candidates from all over France signed up for the sixth annual competition. More than 350 participated in regional elimination rounds to select the 16 national finalists.