UCC to Host 2026 National Finals of ‘Ma Thèse en 180 secondes’
University College Cork will host the 2026 national finals of Ma Thèse en 180 secondes (MT180), the renowned three-minute thesis competition for French-speaking doctoral students.
The event will take place on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, coinciding with the inaugural European Doctoral Day , a new Europe-wide initiative established in 2026 to highlight the vital contribution of doctoral education and PhD researchers to scientific excellence, innovation, and societal progress both within academia and beyond. More than 170 events are taking place across Europe to mark the inaugural European Doctoral Day.
Organised by Embassy of France in Ireland, Irish Universities Association, and Association for Franco-Irish Studies, the MT180 competition is open to French doctoral students currently undertaking research in Ireland.
Ten finalists will each present their doctoral research in just three minutes, showcasing both the quality of their research and their ability to communicate complex ideas to a broad audience. The winner of the Irish national final will go on to represent Ireland at the international Ma Thèse en 180 secondes finals later this year.
The judging panel, chaired by Jenny Piaget, will announce the winner at 2pm on Wednesday, 13 May. The panel includes:
- Jenny Piaget
- Honore Kamegni
- Oliver Davis
- Mélanie Depret, who won the Irish competition in 2025 and went on to achieve an outstanding third place at the international final in Bucharest.