Three Minutes to Impact: PhD students showcase breakthroughs
Derek Chan Kwan Hoe presenting his research during the 3MT finals
Following an inspiring showcase of research communication, PhD student Derek Chan Kwan Hoe claimed the top prize at Monash University Malaysia’s 2026 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) finale on 16 June. His winning presentation, What if 3D Printing Inks Could Be Reused?, tackled a major hidden cost of 3D printing’s growing popularity: its heavy reliance on plastics and the waste generated from failed prints.
To solve this, Derek developed a breakthrough 3D-printing ink made entirely from palm fats. “It's natural, renewable, [and] most importantly, reversible. No recycling facility, just print, heat, cool, and reprint,” he said.
By proving the material could endure 10 cycles of melting, cooling, and reprinting without losing its shape or performance, Derek demonstrated true circularity by design. Crucially, he also accounted for the end of the material's life cycle, exploring its conversion into biodiesel to ensure it continues to deliver value beyond its original function.
Derek will now advance to the 3MT Finals at Monash University Australia on 18 August, where he will compete for a chance to represent Monash at the Asia-Pacific 3MT competition.
The competition also saw other impactful research. Tied for first runner-up were Chee Pui Ying and Tasmia Rahman. Pui Ying introduced a nanostructured lipid carrier derived from natural fats and oils to deliver Urolithin A deep into the skin cells for mitochondrial repair and anti-ageing, while Tasmia evaluated the efficacy of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy against alternative speech, educational, and healthcare approaches for neurodivergent individuals.
Second runner-up Jiayu Shen utilised motion capture to create a structured Malaysian Sign Language dataset to train future AI translation. People’s Choice Award winner Stany Bala Kumar won over the audience with a project dedicated to developing a targeted drug delivery system for breast cancer treatment.
This finale was the culmination of a rigorous selection process that began on 9 June, where 22 preliminary contestants were narrowed down to the top eight finalists.
Professor Michael Connors, Director of the Monash University Malaysia Graduate Research Office, opened the event by reminding the audience that the 3MT is far more than a one-off competition, describing it as a vital training program on research communication.
“Observe how the speaker communicates complexity with simplicity,” he said. “It’s not an easy task, and that’s what 3MT is about: less time forces the distillation of a beautiful and compelling idea.”
The event was aptly hosted by Harinash Rao Precasa Roe, who made history last year by winning the Monash University Australia 3MT finals and bringing the title back to Monash Malaysia for the first time in a decade.
An esteemed multi-disciplinary judging panel evaluated the finalists, which included Professor Dato' Dr Faisal Rafiq Bin Mahamd Adikan, Vice President of Research and Development; Associate Professor Shee Yu Gang, Director of Research, Innovation and Enterprise; Meera Sivasothy, Professor of Practice in Digital Media and Communication from the School of Arts and Social Sciences; Ts Dr Mahaletchumy Arujanan, Executive Director of the Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC); and Dr Beh May Ting, Head of the History and Regional Studies Program at the Penang Institute.
Originally founded by the University of Queensland, the 3MT competition challenges students to explain the significance of their research to a general audience in just three minutes without using dense jargon.
Today, it is celebrated globally by over 900 institutions across more than 85 countries, proving that the future of science relies not just on groundbreaking discovery, but on the power of clear communication.