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29 August 2018 Photo Barend Nagel
Think three minutes is a long time
One slide and three minutes was all they had to present their research. Winners of the UFS Three-Minute Thesis competition in the Master’s category are from left: Nigel Masalla, Phuthi Samuel Masingi and Vuyisa Sigwela. Home page photo: Winners in the PhD Category were Trudie Strauss and Nokuthula Tlalajoe.
It may take three minutes to make noodles, but imagine presenting the 80 000-word research you spent months writing in just three minutes.

For master’s and PhD students participating in the annual institutional Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition at the University of the Free State (UFS), three minutes seem to go as fast as three seconds. Each participant is given three minutes to present the essence of their research, explaining the problem, methodology used, as well as the importance of their research using one slide.

A jubilant audience of staff members and students gathered at the Equitas Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus for the annual institutional 3MT competition. Interesting research topics across different fields of study, which the participants had spent months and even years researching, were presented in the master’s and PhD categories. After each presentation, a panel of judges and the audience had the chance to ask the participants questions on their research.

The competition is part of the initiative by the UFS Postgraduate School to showcase postgraduate research across disciplines, faculties, and universities. Participation in this competition helps to develop academic, presentation, and research communication skills to ensure that research students can effectively communicate their research in a language that even non-specialists can understand. 

It is the mandate of the school to “create an enabling environment for postgraduate students to excel in their pursuit of their academic quests”, according to Prof Witness Mudzi: Director of the UFS Postgraduate School. 

Winners at the event:

PhDs
• Third prize: Trudie Strauss - Babelish Confusion: Finding Statistical Structure in the Diversity of Languages (R3 000 cash prize)
• People’s choice: Nokuthula Tlalajoe - The transition of undergraduate first-year students into the MBChB programme: Social learning and integration

Master’s
• First prize: Phuthi Samuel Masingi   Physical demands of South African Football (R6 000 cash prize)
• Second prize and people’s choice: Nigel Masalla   “ Stealthing” – lifting the veil on non-consensual condom removal (R4 000 cash prize)
• Third prize: Vuyisa Sigwela - Extraction, characterisation and application of betalains from beetroot, cactus pear and amaranth (R2 000 cash prize)

The UFS will be represented by Trudie Strauss at the national 3MT competition on 26 October 2018. The national competition will take place on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus

News Archive

New Visitors Centre opened
2015-01-05

From the left: Mamosa Makaya, Deputy Director: Integrated Communication; Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research; and Lacea Loader, Director: Communication and Brand Management at the opening of the Visitors Centre.

Welcoming point to the Bloemfontein Campus for national and international visitors

Each year our university welcomes numerous visitors onto the Bloemfontein Campus – be they conference delegates, prospective students, parents or service providers. As part of the university’s greater plan of access control and securing the campus for its staff, students and visitors, a Visitors Centre was built at the DF Malherbe gate. The Department of Communication and Brand Management officially opened the new Visitors Centre on 27 November 2014.

In partnership with Protection Services, visitors are now registered and issued with temporary cards to gain access to various parts of the campus. Visitors will also be able to obtain directions and a copy of the campus map at the centre.

The design of the building not only lends a modern, spacious feeling to the centre, but supports green energy as well. Also located at the Visitors Centre is the university switchboard which is the first point of contact for enquiries.

The centre will in future be the welcoming point for larger delegations and visiting groups, nationally and internationally.

For enquiries about the Visitors Centre contact: Mamosa Makaya, Deputy Director: Integrated Communication, at +27(0)51 401 9188 or email makayam@ufs.ac.za.

Visitors Centre front desk: +27(0)51 401 7766.

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