DUT’s Master’s student Stanley Onwubu talks his way into third position at the annual Three Minute Thesis National (3MT) Competition which took place at the University of Free State, recently.
Onwubu, is under supervision of Dr Anisa Vahed with co-supervision from Prof Krishnan Kanny and Dr Shalini Singh. She added that Stanley Onwubu’s passion, perseverance, honesty and hard work with his research had earned him this success. “I hope this humbling and rewarding experience is the beginning of many more,” she said excitedly.
The competition was first developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, the Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT®) challenges research students to communicate the significance of their projects by explaining their research to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes.

Not only do students benefit from this experience, but also have the opportunity to showcase their research and researchers throughout the network, as well as open doors to new collaborations and networks for both researchers and supervisors.
Onwubu could not contain his excitement upon hearing the news of his win into the top three of the competition.
“I must add that it was a very challenging yet rewarding experience to be given the opportunity to compete with 17 other Master’s students and share the same platform. I received a very good recommendation with regards to my research on testing the quality of an alternative material (eggshells) to pumice for reducing the surface roughness of heat-cured acrylic resins.
I was told by the judges to take my research further to PHD level which I hope to do in the near future. For me, also gauging with the audience and trying to explain my research so that they can understand my work was also very worthwhile as that is my passion to make people aware of my work and findings,” he said.
Onwubu has done DUT proud and won R5000 which he will use to further his research and do his doctorate in dental technology and more so look at ways and means to reduce the effects of global warming and carbon emission.
Pictured: DUT’s Master’s student Stanley Onwubu comes third in the Three Minute Thesis National (3MT) Competition.
–Waheeda Peters