Sogang University Hosts 2026 SG 3MT Competition Finals

Sogang University's Graduate School Innovation Strategy Team held the finals for the '2026 SG 3MT Competition' on August 14th at the Dasan Hall. The event aimed to promote graduate students' research findings, enhance their global communication skills, and support their advancement to the BK21 inter-university joint program and international competitions.

The 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) competition, a format used by major international universities like Yale and Stanford, requires participants to explain their thesis research within three minutes in a way that non-experts can understand. Competitors at Sogang University used a single static slide, without animations or sound effects, and presented entirely in English, focusing on spoken word delivery to convey the core of their research and its significance.

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The ability to summarize the key points in the short time of an elevator ride is a quality that researchers and developers must train for. Today's experience of organizing and communicating your research in a very short time will be excellent training for you.

Twelve graduate students who passed the preliminary round competed in the finals. The event was attended by approximately 60 people, including President Shim Jong-hyuk and other key university officials. The judging panel awarded one Grand Prize, one Excellence Award, and three Honorable Mentions. The Grand Prize went to Lee Soo-yeon for her presentation "Beyond the Trade-off: A Crystal That Splits Light and Lets It Through." The Excellence Award was given to Jeong Ki-yeon for "Can green material survive real life?" and Honorable Mentions were awarded to Shin Ji-yeon, Chae Yoon-jeong, and Kim Hae-min.

The top two winners from Sogang University will represent the institution at the '2026 BK21 K-3MT National Competition' hosted by Korea University on November 11th. The national competition's top winner will earn a spot in the Asia Pacific 3MT Competition. President Shim Jong-hyuk emphasized the importance of the "elevator pitch" skill for researchers, stating that the competition provides valuable training for concisely communicating complex research.

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How concisely, how clearly, and with what easily understandable content and words you present is the main judging point. The ability to avoid jargon and explain it simply so that the general public can understand is important.