The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an international academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland, Australia. It is held in over 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide.

Competitors must distill their 80,000 word research project into a three minute presentation to a non-specialist audience. 3MT competitors must effectively explain their research aims and its significance to broader society in no more than three minutes for a chance to win seed funding. The winner of the University of Canberra Final progresses to the Asia-Pacific semi-final, hosted by the University of Queensland.

This competition celebrates the exciting and cutting-edge research developed by PhD students. The training and exposure that participation provides helps competitors to cultivate their research communication skills and the extend the reach of their research impact.

Meet the Finalists:

Finalist	Pitch title	Faculty	Biography
Husnawadi	Flipping Second Language Writing Classrooms	Faculty of Education	Husnawadi is a PhD student at the University of Canberra, researching the impact of flipped classroom instruction on pre-service EFL teachers' writing performance, engagement, and perceptions, using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design across two Indonesian universities. He is also a lecturer at UIN Mataram's Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training, and the founder of TESLA Language Institute (TESLA-LI), a language education institute in Lombok, Indonesia, where students prepare for and sit the official computer-based IELTS test for academic and working holiday visa purposes. His research interests include technology-enhanced language learning (TELL), particularly in L2 writing contexts.
Gerelmaa Altangerel	What Counts as Self-Regulated Learning?	Faculty of Education	Gere Altangerel is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education from Mongolia. Gere has worked as a secondary school teacher in Mongolia for nearly nine years. Gere also served as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at Indiana University in the United States and was an Australia Awards recipient for Gere's Master’s degree in Education Studies at the University of Canberra. Gere's research focuses on young children’s self-regulated learning (SRL). Gere's doctoral ethnographic study examines how young Mongolian nomadic herder children develop and demonstrate SRL within their home environments and during their transition to compulsory schooling. Gere is particularly interested in how the Mongolian kinship system, along with more-than-human entities such as homeland and herd animals, supports children’s learning.
Chloe Kim	Korean Media Consumption and Cultural Identity Formation Among Korean-Australians	Faculty of Arts & Design	Woo-Kyung (Chloe) Kim is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Canberra. Her research examines how transnational media consumption shapes cultural identity among diaspora communities in Australia. Chloe Kim is one of the first recipients of the new UC HDR Internship Scholarship. She is leading the way in demonstrating how industry experience can strengthen the real-world impact of research, undertaking her internship with Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA INC) this year.
Michael Tran	Seeing Through the Noise: Exploring Visual Noise and Myopia	Faculty of Health	Michael is a PhD Candidate at the University of Canberra, examining how visual noise impacts the eyes’ vision and physiology; and how this knowledge can be translated to clinical therapies addressing the myopia epidemic. Michael serves his hometown community of Canberra as a clinical optometrist, specialising in rigid contact lenses and ocular therapeutics. He joined the University of Canberra in 2023 as a researcher and educator, and was most recently awarded a commendation for 'Staff excellence in Learning and Teaching'.
Lucy Walton	Compare the Pair: Same Risk. Different Outcome	Faculty of Health	Originally from Queensland, Lucy Walton is a PhD candidate, and a physiotherapist at the University of Canberra Hospital. With nine years’ experience working as a physiotherapist in hospital settings, she has a keen interest in neurological rehabilitation. Her research explores lifestyle-based secondary prevention for people with TIA and mild stroke, emphasising practical, real-world approaches that translate into clinical care. Lucy is passionate about turning research into meaningful healthcare solutions, combining clinical expertise with translational research to improve outcomes in cardiovascular and neurological rehabilitation.
Bethany Canty	The impacts we don't measure	Faculty of Health	Bethany is currently a PhD candidate in biomechanics at the University of Canberra, where her research focuses on breast impacts in sport. She previously worked as a Research Associate position at the University of Portsmouth, where she investigated ways to improve breast health among female police officers
Nipuni Wijesinghe	The Subtle Art of Reading the Room	Faculty of Science & Technology	Nipuni Wijesinghe is a PhD student in the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Canberra, with a background in computer science and over three years of industry exposure. Her research interests are centered around the fields of embodied AI, human-robot interaction, social presence of robots, context awareness, and the modulating presence of embodied systems. Through her work, she aims to explore and enhance the interactions between humans and robotic systems.
Zobaida Knanam	Sustainability Assurance Quality: A Mixed-Methods Study of Framework	Faculty of Business, Government & Law	Zobaida Khanam is currently a PhD student in accounting within the Faculty of Business, Government, and Law at the University of Canberra, Australia. She possesses almost a decade of teaching and research experience within the academic landscape and has conducted multiple research projects funded by governmental entities in Bangladesh. As an academic, she aspires to build up her career as a renowned researcher and participate in cutting-edge research in the field of accounting.

Meet the Judges:

Professor Annette Gainsford

Professor Annette Gainsford is a distinguished Indigenous academic leader and proud Wiradjuri woman who serves as Pro Vice‑Chancellor (Indigenous) at the University of Canberra, where she provides strategic leadership to advance Indigenous excellence across teaching and research, and strengthen culturally informed governance and student success outcomes. With a career spanning senior roles at institutions including the University of Technology Sydney and Deakin University, she has led whole‑of‑university transformation through the integration of Indigenous curriculum, cultural competency and graduate attributes across disciplines, and is widely recognised for her expertise in Indigenous pedagogy, curriculum design and research. She is also the founder of the Indigenous Higher Education Curriculum Conference (IHECC) and the International Indigenous Curriculum Community of Practice, initiatives that foster collaboration, innovation and global dialogue in embedding Indigenous knowledges and perspectives in higher education. Her research focuses on embedding Indigenous knowledges into higher education curricula to create culturally responsive and inclusive learning environments, particularly within disciplines such as law and justice, while also advancing Indigenous pedagogy, place‑based education and cultural competency through strong partnerships between universities and Indigenous communities to drive systemic change and social justice outcomes. She is also one of the co- authors of Children, Care and Crime: Trauma and Transformation, which examines the intersection of child protection, trauma and justice systems, highlighting pathways for reform and healing grounded in Indigenous strengths-based approaches.

Duncan Byrne

Duncan Byrne is the Program Manager: Industry PhD at CSIRO. During his 8 years in the role, he has nurtured the Program from an initial concept to a pilot with 3 candidates at UNSW to what is now a Federal Government funded program. Prior to his current role, Duncan worked at CSIRO in University Engagement and as an Innovation System Advisor.

Prior to working at CSIRO, Duncan was a lead systems analyst at the Defence Science and Technology Group where he supported high level capability decision making and the development of joint systems. During his time at DSTG he was seconded as an advisor to the Canadian Department of Defence in Ottawa.

Duncan has a Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial) from the University of Newcastle and a Master of Management Studies from the University of New South Wales

Sunita Kotnala

Sunita Kotnala is the Founder and CEO of Women’s Shed Canberra, a pioneering social enterprise dedicated to empowering women through practical skills, community connection, and pathways into trades and non-traditional professions. Originally arriving in Australia on a skilled migration visa, Sunita has built a diverse career spanning international development, women’s empowerment, homelessness services, and social innovation, including work with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government on initiatives addressing violence against women.

Under her leadership, Women’s Shed Canberra has grown into a nationally replicable entity that provides women with opportunities to build confidence, self-sufficiency, and tool competency in a safe and inclusive environment. An advocate for gender equality and circular economy principles, she develops innovative programs that create sustainable pathways for women to employment, repair, refurbishment, and environmental stewardship. Sunita was named Canberra Citizen of the Year 2026 in recognition of her leadership, innovation, and the ability to turn ideas into impactful initiatives for women in trades and for her unwavering belief that every woman should have the opportunity to inspire, create, build, and thrive.

Contact the host of 2026 UC Three Minute Thesis Final

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