Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition 2025,
The finals of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition 2025, organized by the Young Scientists’ Association (YSA) of the National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS), Kandy, were successfully held on May 20, 2025, at the Prof. Cyril Ponnamperuma Auditorium, NIFS. Originating at the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2008, the 3MT Competition has since gained global recognition, and YSA has been granted official permission to host it as one of the participating institutions.
This year marked the sixth consecutive edition of the competition organized by YSA, providing a dynamic platform for undergraduate and postgraduate students from universities across Sri Lanka to present their research in a clear, concise, and engaging manner to a non-specialist audience, within just three minutes.
The preliminary round, held on May 8, 2025, featured 60 participants, from whom 10 finalists were selected to compete in the final round.
Ms. Chinthani Wijeratne was awarded both the Winner and the People’s Choice Award for her outstanding presentation titled “Assessing the Acoustic Benefits of Vertical Greenery Systems: An Experimental Study of Passive Noise Reduction in Buildings.” She was followed by Ms. V. Kalaivizhi as the 1st Runner-Up and Ms. Dilini Perera as the 2nd Runner-Up.
The final round was evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges comprising:
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Dr. Piyumali Perera, Senior Lecturer, Department of Zoology, and Director of the Science-Industry Interaction Cell, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya;
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Dr. Dilani Hettiarachchi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, and a certified Toastmaster and NLP Practitioner;
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Dr. Sanjeewa Rodrigo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, The Open University of Sri Lanka;
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Mr. Manura Weerasinghe, a seasoned Toastmaster with over six years of experience in public speaking, is currently serving as the District Webmaster for Toastmasters District 82.
The 3MT Competition served as a valuable experience for young Sri Lankan researchers, enabling them to refine their science communication skills and learn to effectively convey complex research to a broader audience, an essential ability for their future academic and professional pursuits.
