2026 edition of the “My thesis in 180 seconds”
Ten PhD students had been selected from among all PhD students in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and participated in the regional final of the competition:
Ianis PONTIER : PhD student in Language Sciences
Stéphanie CRAMOISY : PhD graduate in Neuroscience
Maxime AUGER : PhD student in Applied Mechanics
Pierre BUGNON : PhD student in Artificial Intelligence
Goran LOISEAUX : PhD student in Psychology
Léa LOPES : PhD student in Information and Communication Sciences
Leya LIU : PhD student in Chemistry
Estelle ANDRE : PhD student in Neuroscience
Martial HOUNDEKON : PhD student in Sports Science
Léo SAHNOUNI : PhD student in Engineering Sciences
Every on of them had the opportunity to present their researchj in exactly three minutes at the Théâtre Fontaine d’Ouche in Dijon on 17 March 2026.
More than 230 high-schoolers came to watch their presentations that afternoon, during a session organised especially for them, after which they voted for their favourite candidate. Martial Houndekon received the most votes and won the 2026 High School Students’ Prize.
In the evening, over 100 people came to discover their research projects. Two prizes were awarded at the end of the evening:
Martial Houndekon won the Audience Prize
Maxime Auger won the Jury Prize. He will represent the region at the National Final, which will take place in Lille on 28 May 2026.
Did you miss the 2026 Regional Final?
Watch it on the Université Bourgogne Europe YouTube channel or on the Université Marie et Louis Pasteur YouTube channel.
Initiated for the first time in French language by the Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas) in Quebec in 2012, the “My thesis in 180 seconds” competition was launched in France by the CNRS and the CPU in 2014.
The competition consists in PhD students presenting their thesis subject in three minutes only, while making it attractive and understandable by all. Each PhD student must give a clear, concise, and nonetheless convincing talk about his/her research project, with the support of only one slide! It is a unique opportunity for them to popularise the contents and stakes of their works with the general public, and acquire communication skills well beyond a mere stylistic exercise. PhD students benefit from training courses to meet that challenge, to help them popularise their research and quickly capture attention from an audience.
Each year, the Doctoral College organizes the regional final : 10 PhD students are selected to take part and try to win one out of the two regional prizes : the Audience Award and the Jury Award. The Jury award laureate then represent the Region at the national final, maybe even the international final…!
The 10 PhD students also have the opportunity to make their presentation to high school students in the Region during the session reserved for them each year and at the end of which the Rectorate awards a Prize for high school students to their preferred candidate.