Explaining your thesis in three minutes? The next generation of scientists shines in Dijon – Results of the 13th edition of ‘My Thesis in 180 Seconds’ – 18 March 2026
The regional final of the 2026 edition of the ‘My Thesis in 180 Seconds’ competition took place on 17 March at the Théâtre de Fontaine d’Ouche in Dijon. Ten PhD students from Bourgogne-Franche-Comté brilliantly rose to the challenge of presenting their research topics in just three minutes, in a way that was clear, accessible and engaging for the general public.
Fascinating topics presented by PhD students with diverse backgrounds
The ten PhD students selected for this regional final represented the diversity of research fields within the participating institutions (Université Bourgogne Europe, Université Marie et Louis Pasteur, SUPMICROTECH, Institut Agro Dijon and Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard). Their backgrounds illustrate the richness and dynamism of academic research, as well as its ability to address major contemporary challenges :
• PONTIER Ianis, PhD student in Linguistics, UMLP
• CRAMOISY Stéphanie, PhD in Neuroscience, UMLP
• AUGER Maxime, PhD student in Applied Mechanics, SUPMICROTECH
• BUGNON Pierre, PhD student in Artificial Intelligence, UBE
• LOISEAUX Goran, PhD student in Psychology, UMLP
• LOPES Léa, PhD student in Information and Communication Sciences, UBE
• LIU Leya, PhD student in Chemistry, UBE
• ANDRE Estelle, PhD student in Neuroscience, UMLP
• HOUNDEKON Martial, PhD student in Sports Science, UMLP
• SAHNOUNI Léo, PhD student in Engineering Sciences, UTBM
A committed multidisciplinary jury
The presentations were assessed by a jury comprising figures from a variety of backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of perspectives on research and its dissemination:
• Nadège Hubert, journalist
• Dr Amélie Godard, Future CEO of FLUONIR
• Will Liéna YONTA, PhD student in applied mechanics, 2025 Jury Prize
• Prof. Almudena SANAHUJA, Professor of Psychology and Psychopathology, Co-Director of Collège Doctoral Bourgogne Franche-Comté
And the big winners are…
At the end of the evening, several prizes were awarded to recognise the doctoral students’ work:
The jury’s prize was awarded to Maxime Auger for his presentation entitled: ‘Physics-based neural networks for structural dynamics’. He will therefore have the opportunity to present his work at the national final, which will take place on 28 May 2026 at the Théâtre Sébastopol in Lille.
The People’s Choice Award and the Sixth-Formers’ Award were presented to Martial Houndekon for his work: ‘Effects of a programme combining aerobic exercise with strength training on the hormonal responses involved in appetite control in overweight or obese adolescents receiving third-line treatment’. A performance warmly applauded by the school pupils, who showed great curiosity about the PhD students and their thesis topics.
As a reminder, around 200 secondary school pupils from seven different schools attended the event to take part in this career-focused initiative:
• Lycée Anna Judic, Semur-en-Auxois
• Lycée Lumière, Luxeuil-les-Bains
• Lycée Victor Hugo, Besançon
• S. Liégeard de Brochon Secondary School, Dijon
• Jean Vilar Lower Secondary School, Chalon-sur-Saône
• Hilaire de Chardonnet Secondary School, Dijon
• Germaine Tillion Secondary School, Montbéliard
When science tells its story in 180 seconds
Created in 2012 in Quebec by the Association francophone pour le savoir (ACFAS), the ‘My Thesis in 180 Seconds’ competition was launched in France in 2014 by the CNRS and the Conference of University Presidents, now known as France Universités. It has since established itself as a key initiative for promoting research and developing scientific communication skills. The competition invites PhD students to explain the challenges and contributions of their thesis work in three minutes, using a single slide. A demanding exercise in popularising complex ideas, it offers a unique opportunity to make research accessible to as many people as possible, whilst enabling participants to strengthen their oral skills and their ability to capture the attention of a non-specialist audience.