Three minutes to excel for Law PhD candidates

27 Aug 2018
Two of The University of Queensland’s most ambitious higher degree by research students had their moment to shine at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law’s annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition.

The 3MT® challenges Research Masters and PhD students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience.

TC Beirne School of Law students Jocelyn Bosse and Mark Deng covered the topics of intellectual property and the Kakadu plum, and the power concentration problem in South Sudan.

L-R: Maria Golubovskaya (UQ Business School), Peter Ellis, Jocelyn Bosse, Mark Deng

BEL Associate Dean (Research) Professor Victor Callan said the competition was designed to develop students’ academic, presentation and research communication skills.

“Now more than ever, our higher degree by research students must learn how to communicate the impact of their research at conferences, to their colleagues and to non-specialist audiences outside of academia,” Professor Callan said.

“The Three Minute Thesis builds confidence and gives students insight into how to engage audiences with succinct snapshots of their research.

“Congratulations to all BEL students who participated in the Faculty competition and school heats. Your new skillset will prove invaluable throughout your research careers.”

Ms Bosse was the winner and the audience-voted People’s Choice at the BEL Faculty competition. Ms Bosse received $1500 in research funds and will go on to compete in the UQ 3MT® final at Customs House on Wednesday 12 September.

Jocelyn Bosse, TC Beirne School of Law

Thesis title: Fragmentation of Access and Benefit Sharing Laws for Biodiscovery in Australia: The Case Study of Kakadu Plum

Research collaborations between Indigenous communities, scientists, and industry could address the issues of food security by harnessing the unique properties of Australian native foods, such as the Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana). However, intellectual property law and other international regulations place strict requirements on the transfer of research materials and subsequent use of biological resources. For my case study, I will work directly with Indigenous communities and scientists to understand the ‘real life’ impacts of the law on Kakadu plum research and development. I seek to ensure that these regulations are facilitating ethical and productive research partnerships.

Mark Deng, TC Beirne School of Law

Thesis title: Democratising the Sudan People's Liberation Movement:  A Test of Vision and Political Will for the Government of South Sudan

South Sudan achieved independence in 2011, ushering in a new dawn of hope for the South Sudanese people. However, the euphoria for independence was short-lived. Two years into independence the country plunged into yet another atrocious civil war. One of the major causes of the civil war is power. The current constitution of South Sudan centralises power, creating an autocratic government. My thesis is about addressing this power concentration problem in South Sudan. It argues that the solution to this problem is constitutional reform. Through a genuine constitutional reform, a reform that is people-driven (inclusive and participatory), peace is possible.

The 2018 BEL 3MT® judges were Associate Professor Bernard McKenna (UQ Business School), Associate Professor Heiko Gerlach (School of Economics) and Dr Allison Fish (TC Beirne School of Law).

Competitors were assessed on their comprehension, content, engagement and communication.

The 3MT® competition began at UQ in 2008. In 2018, over 400 institutions across six continents held 3MT® events.

View the event photo gallery and BEL 3MT presentations below.

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