3-Minute Fame: The PhD pitch competition by EU Green

The EU Green European Alliance is launching the second edition of its 3-Minute Fame public speaking competition, open to PhD students from the University of Angers (UA) and the 8 partner universities. This competition challenges participants to explain their PhD thesis in English, in a clear, impactful, and accessible manner, in just 3 minutes.

EU Green brings together 9 partner universities focusing on sustainable development: the universities of Angers (France), Parma (Italy), Extremadura (Spain), Évora (Portugal), Magdeburg (Germany), Oradea (Romania), Gävle (Sweden), the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (Poland), and the Atlantic Technological University (Ireland).

Events like the 3-Minute Fame competition highlight the work of young researchers, encourage networking among PhD students, and foster the construction of a European scientific community.

Preparation training for PhD students from UA

PhD students from UA will have the opportunity to attend a two-day preparatory training course (16 hours total) in January 2026, ahead of the competition. Led by a professional comedian, this training will help candidates work on public speaking, stage presence, stress management, and self-confidence.

These training sessions will take place on January 20 at the Suaps (the University Sports Service building, located on the Belle-Beille campus) and on January 26 at Le Qu4tre (the University Cultural building, located on the Saint-Serge campus).

This training will be validated in Amethis and will count towards the mandatory training hours for PhD students.

Registration is open until January 10, 2026:

Send an email to: eugreenwp3 @ univ-angers.fr 

Competition submission

After the training, each candidate must create a video in English, which is clear, impactful, and accessible, presenting their thesis topic in three minutes.

• Maximum video length: 3 minutes (in English)
• Visuals: One single static slide
• Restrictions: No background music, props, animations, or notes are allowed
• Accepted formats: .avi, .mp4, .mpeg-4, .wmv, .mov, .flv, .mkv
• Submission deadline: February 2, 2026, at 12:00 PM (CET)

Submit your video application here

Final round in Poland in April

At the University of Angers, a committee will select the three best videos to represent the university in the EU Green final. The finalists from the nine universities (27 PhD students selected in total) will pitch their thesis live during the EU Green PhD Summer School, organized from April 15 to 17, 2026, in Wrocław, Poland.

Note: Travel and accommodation expenses for the finalists will be covered.