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U21 Announces Winners of 2026 Global Three Minute Thesis ® 

20 January 2026

As global challenges grow in complexity, the ability to communicate research clearly and engagingly has never been more important. The Universitas 21 (U21) Global Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition showcases the next generation of global research leaders and the power of effective research communication. 

Building on local 3MT® competitions, the U21 Global final brings together top research students in a virtual, international setting, sharpening communication skills, enabling global peer review, and highlighting research storytelling across borders. 

This year, research students from 18 world-leading universities across the U21 network took part, each presenting their PhD research in just three minutes to a non-specialist audience. The competition also achieved record global engagement, with nearly 13,000 public votes cast for the People’s Choice Award, the highest participation in U21 3MT® history. 

First Prize

Lie Wen from The National University of Singapore was named the 2025/26 U21 Global 3MT® winner for his presentation, I Gut a Feeling I’m Full: How Bacteria Signal the Brain. His research explores how communication between the gut and brain regulates appetite, using zebrafish larvae to better understand how breakdowns in this process can contribute to overeating.  

Participating in 3MT® has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Communicating science, especially making complex ideas clear and engaging, has always been important to me. There is something deeply satisfying about helping others understand science without the jargon. Moving forward, I hope to continue sharing my work with wider audiences beyond my field.
– Lie Wen, The National University of Singapore

Highly Commended

Alexandra Boese from the University of Glasgow received a Highly Commended Award for Bridging the Literacy Gap with Morphology. Her research highlights how understanding word structure can support inclusive literacy practices and help address educational inequality. 

I am honoured to receive the Highly Commended Award at the U21 Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition for my presentation, Bridging the Literacy Gap with Morphology. I’m grateful to my supervisors, participating teachers and children, and the University of Glasgow for the chance to share research focused on inclusive literacy practices.” 
– Alexandra Boese, University of Glasgow

People’s Choice Winner

The People’s Choice Award was won by Francisca Durán from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile for Microscopic Marvels: Illuminating Blood Disorders with Nanotechnology. Her work focuses on developing a faster, more accessible diagnostic test for the rare and life-threatening blood disorder TTP, using an innovative nanoparticle-based prototype. 

Sharing my research… was more than just a scientific presentation. It was an opportunity to give visibility to the science that we are developing in Chile, and to a condition that often remains silent until it becomes catastrophic.” 
– Francisca Durán, UC Chile

The judging panel, made up of research leaders from across the U21 network, praised the winners for their clarity, creativity and impact.    

Professor Jenny Dixon, Provost of Universitas 21, commented upon this year’s entries  

“The U21 3MT® competition demonstrates how essential communication skills are for research leadership in a global context. By bringing emerging researchers together in an international final, U21 helps them develop the confidence, clarity and visibility needed to ensure their research resonates worldwide and makes a real-world difference.” 

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