HIRAKU 3MT Competition 2020 – Report

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The HIRAKU 3MT Competition 2020 was successfully held on Saturday, November 21st.
This year’s Competition was conducted entirely online, expanding the scope of the eligible participants to all doctorates enrolled in Japanese universities. There were 62 applications in total, from 24 national, public and private universities. The 20 Finalists, whom we welcomed to the Final Stage, were selected as a result of the rigorous screening process of the applicants’ videos.
With a substantial gathering of 160 people for the Japanese Division and 335 people for the English Division watching the Competition, the Finalists managed to showcase their research using only a single slide within a limited time-span of three minutes, in a language appropriate to the non-specialist audience.
At the conclusion of the 3MT Presentations, the respective panel talks with the Finalists were presented in both of the divisions, in collaboration with the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). The theme of the panel talks was “Our Future Society, Our Future Life”, and they were moderated by the experienced science communicators of Dr. HONDA Takayuki (Freelance Science Communicator) for the Japanese Division and Dr. SHIMADA Kazuyoshi (Director at JST) for the English Division. Under the supporting guidance of the moderators, the Finalists enthusiastically discussed and exchanged opinions about how their research could contribute to society in the future.

Please feel free to watch the YouTube videos of the livestreamed Competition via the URL links below.
　・Japanese Division: https://youtu.be/piRDuPkleeU
　・English Division:    https://youtu.be/KdBM6tH93us
Official eBooklet of the Competition
　・Japanese Division
　・English Division

Award Recipients

Congratulations to the following Award Recipients, as determined by the respective judging panels and audience polls.

【Japanese Division】　List of HIRAKU 3MT Competition 2020 Finalists

○ Winner / YAMADA Koki (Yamaguchi University)
「光を使って電池の謎を解明！～完璧な電池にむけて～」

○ Runner-Up / TANAKA Hideya (Hiroshima University)
「パズルのように分子を繋げる！」

○ People’s Choice / MORIYAMA Norihiro (Hiroshima University)
「空気から水をつくる膜分離技術」

≪Sponsor Awards≫ *The Sponsor Award Recipients were chosen from the Video Screening Stage

〇 Otsuka Award / HAKARIYA Hayase (Kyoto University)
〇 KONICA MINOLTA Award / TAKEHARA Mayuko (University of Tsukuba)
〇 Nature Digest Award / MORIYAMA Norihiro (Hiroshima University)
〇 Chugai Technos Award / MORIYAMA Norihiro (Hiroshima University)
〇 JSW Award / WATANABE Masahito (Waseda University)
〇 Micron Award / IWASE Daisuke (Hiroshima City University)
〇 Mazda Award / YAMADA Koki (Yamaguchi University)

【English Division】　List of HIRAKU 3MT Competition 2020 Finalists

○ Winner / Kenneth Keuk (Kyoto University)
“Cheesy epidemiology: studying the biodiversity-disease relationship in Bornean primates”

○ Runner-Up / Anamaria Daniela Sarca (Kyoto University)
“A faster, more easily available tool to detect and quantify HIV-1 maturation”

○ People’s Choice / Radhika Biyani (Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)
“Virtual Reality for Virus-X”

≪Sponsor Awards≫ *The Sponsor Award Recipients were chosen from the Video Screening Stage

○ Otsuka Award / Suhendri (Hiroshima University)
○ KONICA MINOLTA Award / Nitty Skariah Mathews (Hamamatsu University School of Medicine)
○ Springer Nature Award / Kenneth Keuk (Kyoto University)
○ JSW Award / Vanessa Nadine Gris (Kyoto University)
○ Micron Award / Go Sian Huai (Gifu University)

Host Organization:
“Home for Innovative Researchers and Academic Knowledge Users (HIRAKU)” under the Building of Consortia for the Development of Human Resources and Science and Technology

Special Sponsors:

Please feel free to click the respective [Information Movie] links to watch the promotional videos of each of the Special Sponsors.

Sponsors:
KYOWA HAKKO BIO CO.,LTD. Yamaguchi Production Center／TODA KOGYO CORP.／NH Foods Ltd. R&D Center／Nomura Research Institute, Ltd.

Cooperators:
Springer Nature
This Competition was held with the comprehensive support of Springer Nature, especially in regard to promotional activities. This support was a result of Springer Nature being in agreement with the purpose of the Competition, which is to develop the Doctorates’ presentation and research communication skills, while leading to broader society (as the audience) further enhancing their positive understanding of doctorate resources and researches.
Springer Nature Webpage for the HIRAKU 3MT Competition 2020:
https://www.springernature.com/jp/campaign/3MT-E

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
The Japanese Division was broadcasted online as a part of “Science Agora 2020” hosted by JST.
Science Agora 2020 Webpage for the HIRAKU 3MT Competition 2020 (Japanese Division)