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3MT crowns its 2025 PhD national competition winner

28 October 2025 | Story Andile Mbowana | Photo Supplied

PhD candidates at the 2025 National 3MT Competition, hosted at the University of the Free State.

The University of the Free State Centre for Graduate Support (CGS) hosted the 2025 National Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition on 24 October in the Albert Wessels Auditorium, bringing together some of South Africa’s brightest PhD minds under one roof. The annual event, which has become a highlight on the national academic calendar, challenges doctoral candidates from universities across the country to present their complex research in just three minutes, using language accessible to a non-specialist audience.

This year’s competition drew impressive presentations from top scholars representing various disciplines – from health sciences and agriculture to humanities – all showcasing the depth and diversity of South Africa’s research landscape.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the UFS, reflected on The Essence of Postgraduate Studies and Success in South Africa. He emphasised that postgraduate research plays a critical role in shaping innovation and addressing the country’s most pressing challenges. “As postgraduates, you represent a powerful tool of transformation, equity, and innovation, and every thesis is a story of resilience and a long journey of research,” he said. Prof Reddy also talked about how “competitions like the 3MT not only celebrate research excellence but also teach scholars how to communicate their ideas to inspire real-world impact,” praising the competition for opening opportunities for postgraduate scholars.

The University of the Free State was represented by two candidates, Rentia du Plessis from the Faculty of The Humanities, who presented her 3MT title, Exploring Instructional Communication Strategic for Holistic Student Development, and Naquita Fernandes from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, with her 3MT title, Triggering Online Review Generation Behaviour.

Other universities, such as the Nelson Mandela University, Unisa, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the University of the Western Cape, the University of Johannesburg, and the University of Pretoria, were also present.

After a series of captivating presentations, Robinah Nakawunde from Stellenbosch University claimed the top prize. Representing the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, her presentation titled, Cured but Not Healed: Uncovering the Lung’s Struggles after TB, captured the attention of both the judges and the audience. Her research sheds light on how pulmonary tuberculosis continues to affect lung function even after successful treatment, highlighting the need for improved post-TB health-care interventions.

The first runner-up position went to Aaron Harvey from the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, whose research explores how avocado plants fight root rot disease using RNA interference mechanisms. His presentation, titled How Avocado Cells Fight Against the Root Rot Disease Caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi, Using RNAi Gatekeepers, impressed the judges with its clarity and scientific depth.

Morgan Lee from the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Humanities took home the second runner-up prize. Her presentation, Locked In: The Hidden Barriers to Sustainable Agriculture, tackled the challenges facing South Africa’s commercial grain sector in transitioning towards more sustainable practices, offering insights that bridge environmental and social considerations.

The 2025 3MT National Competition once again demonstrated the power of concise, impactful communication in research. As the curtain closed, it was evident that South Africa’s future of research and innovation remains in capable hands, ones that can not only investigate deeply, but also explain passionately

News Archive

Academics should strive to work with students towards publishing, says NRF-rated researcher

2017-07-17

Dr Rodwell Makombe, Y-gegradeerde navorser.
Foto: Thabo Kessah

“The National Research Foundation (NRF) is a prestigious research institution and to be recognised by such an institution means that my work is worthwhile. This alone motivates me to do more research.” This is how Dr Rodwell Makombe reflected on his recent recognition as an NRF-rated researcher – one of the few on the Qwaqwa Campus. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa Campus.

“This recognition is indeed an important milestone in my research career. It means that my efforts as a researcher are recognised and appreciated. The financial research incentive will enable me to engage in more research, attend conferences, and so forth,” he said.

Comparing research in the Humanities and Sciences
Dr Makombe’s research area is broadly postcolonial African literature, but he is particularly interested in postcolonial literatures and resistance cultures. He is currently working on a book project entitled Visual Cultures of the Afromontane.

When asked what he thought about Natural Sciences being in the lead as far as research is concerned, he said that this is mainly caused by funding opportunities.

“It means that my efforts as a
researcher are recognised and
appreciated.”

“It is easier to access funding for research in the Natural Sciences than for the Humanities. Researchers in the Humanities usually do research without any form of funding. However, there are also differences in the way research is done in the Sciences than in the Humanities. Science researchers tend to work together on different projects, which make it easier for them to have their names on publications, no matter how small their contribution. This is also connected to the issue of funding,” he added.

He continued: “Since research in the Humanities is largely unfunded, it is difficult for researchers to establish research groups. Another issue is that most academics in the Humanities do not necessarily teach modules within their research interests. Therefore, they tend to be overloaded with work as they have to do research in one area and teach in another area.”

NRF-rating and funding
For Dr Makombe, the solution to this challenge lies in academics in the Humanities working towards publishing with their students. “This way,” he said, “both the students and the academics will get publications that will help them to get NRF-rating and other forms of research funding. Modules in the Humanities need to be aligned to academics’ research interests to avoid mismatches between teaching and research.”

He previously worked at the University of Fort Hare and the Durban University of Technology and has published several articles in both local and international journals.

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