Interview with the winner Charlotte GoblirschThree Minute Thesis Competition 2025

18 September 2025

Photo: HRA/Wied

On 9 September, nine doctoral researchers from Hamburg took on the challenge of presenting their doctoral theses in three minutes and with only one presentation slide. The fifth edition of Hamburg’s Three Minute Thesis competition again took place in the "Halle 424" in the Oberhafenquartier. After an evening full of great presentations and a close race in the rankings, Charlotte Goblirsch from the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg took first place with his presentation “Exciting, Green... and Ignored: The Hidden Struggle of Sustainable Delivery”. We asked her about her experiences in the competition.

Why did you decide to participate in the 3MT – and how did you like the experience ?

I just wanted to practice being on stage – to get out of my comfort zone! I didn't think it would go so well because I had never done anything like this before. It wasn't as nerve-wracking as I had thought it would be – and now I'm proud that I dared to do it. For me, the 3MT was a great opportunity to present my research in an exciting way, and to gain new experiences.

How did you prepare for the presentation?

I took a three-step approach: I talked to people who weren't familiar with my research, such as relatives. That helped me filter out the most important points of my topic. Then I developed a storyline with a fictional character in the lead role and divided the plot into content blocks. Finally, I took a close look at the guidelines for the competition and practiced a lot, including talking to colleagues. It was important to me to remain flexible and not memorize everything so that the presentation would come across as natural. The HRA workshop was also extremely helpful in my preparation.

What does science communication mean to you as a researcher?

I really enjoy talking about my doctoral thesis topic and think it's important to communicate research in an understandable way. Many good ideas, such as the peer-2-peer return system, deserve more attention — otherwise, innovative approaches don't get enough opportunities to prove themselves. I could well imagine gaining more stage experience, for example at a science slam. In the long term, this could perhaps also benefit me as a founder. And I have now applied for a project at HOOU.

Do you have any tips for other doctoral students who might also want to participate in a 3MT ?

Just go for it! I felt really comfortable at the 3MT and it's a great way to try things out. My advice is to take advantage of the preparatory workshop and talk to as many people as possible to sharpen your own topic and gain confidence.