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Winners to represent university at inaugural MENA 3MT competition
Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) recently held its annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, celebrating the research achievements of its doctoral students.
This year’s event drew 29 participants from across HBKU’s colleges, each presenting projects that tackle topics within fields of national and global relevance, running from Islamic studies and the humanities to biomedical and engineering sciences. An esteemed panel of university faculty evaluated each entry, grading the robustness of the academic research and the student’s research communication skills.
Anas Karaki, College of Science and Engineering, placed first overall with his thesis, “An Evolutionary Game-Theoretic Framework for Energy Storage Scheduling in Smart Grids.” Hanan Qasem, College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), claimed second place with her project, “Targeting Lactate Dehydrogenase C in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Cell Penetrating Peptide,” and Safa Shaheen, CHLS, took third with “The Phenomenon of Geneticization in the GCC Region: Ethical, Legal and Social Implications from an Islamic Perspective.”
The winners received cash prizes and the opportunity to represent HBKU at the inaugural MENA 3MT competition, scheduled to take place at the university on November 2, 2025, and featuring competitors from across the Arab world.
Reflecting on the display of academic excellence from HBKU’s doctoral student body, Dr. Maryam Al-Mannai, Vice President of Student Affairs, remarked: "Our students excel in their academic studies, driven by their collective desire to solve critical challenges facing Qatar and the world. The competition is organized by the Office of Student Affairs as part of its commitment to nurturing a unique teaching and research environment that encourages a lifelong pursuit of professional and self-development among our students.”
Originally developed by the University of Queensland, the 3MT competition has become a global phenomenon, with over 900 universities across 85 countries hosting similar events.