The Wisdom Lake Postgraduate Researcher Development Conference in numbers

1 Three-Minute Thesis competition

1 Industry Networking Hub

5 universities

These were the key components for The 2nd Wisdom Lake Postgraduate Researcher Development Conference held last week. Organised by XJTLU, the event brought together researchers from Renmin University of China, Soochow University, Monash Suzhou Research Institute, and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Suzhou Research Institute.

Participants of the 2nd Wisdom Lake Postgraduate Researcher Development Conference organised by XJTLU

Three-Minute Thesis competition

1 thesis

3 minutes

16 PhD students

The conference opened with the Wisdom Lake Universities Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, where 16 PhD students presented their research in just three minutes to a non-specialist audience. Participants were allowed to use only one static slide to support their presentations.

The judging panel included Professor Adam Cross, Associate Vice President of Education and Academic Director of the Graduate School; Helen Beech, Dean of the School of Languages; Professor Xuezhong He from IBSS; and Professor Baiqian Dai from Monash University’s Monash Suzhou Research Institute. After each presentation, a brief Q&A session allowed students to hone their communication skills by responding to audience questions.

Minjie Zheng, a second-year PhD student at the NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute, won both the People’s Choice Award (voted for by the audience) and the first prize from the judges. It was her first time participating in the competition, and she credited her fellow researchers for encouraging her to join.

“I would recommend this event to other PhD students considering entering, as it’s not a very usual experience here in China,” she said. “My advice to anyone taking part is to be prepared, get more sleep, and don’t be nervous. Also, eat your lunch before you come.”

Winner of the Wisdom Lake Universities Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition 2025 – Minjie Zheng from the NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute

Lin Zheng, a second-year PhD student at XJTLU’s Design School, was one of three students awarded second prize. She will also go on to represent XJTLU in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Regional Virtual 3MT Competition, which is scheduled for 22 September 2025.

Reflecting on her experience, she said: “I attended the final round of the Three-Minute Thesis Competition last year as an audience member. I had just started my PhD studies and was impressed not only by the research but also by the confidence of the presenters and the creativity of their slides. This year, I thought, ‘I have this chance; I have to attend this competition.’ I wanted to showcase my research and exchange ideas with other PhD students.”

Lin Zheng, a second-year PhD student at XJTLU’s Design School was awarded one of the second prizes for her 3MT presentation

Professor Shugong Xu, Associate Vice President for Research and Impact at XJTLU, emphasised the importance of communicating research to a broader audience in his closing remarks. He stated:

“I saw wonderful discussions between students today. It’s especially important now, as many researchers, including myself, face the challenge of how to communicate our work to a non-specialist audience. All of today’s participants made a commendable effort. Whether you win or not, standing on this stage is an important step – you are making the leap from researcher to communicator.”

The complete list of prizes awarded:

Industry Networking Hub

8 participating enterprises

While the judges deliberated on who should take home the prizes for the competition, the students had a chance to speak to representatives from the following local companies:

• Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO), Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
• Tianju Dihe (Suzhou) Technology Co Ltd
• Suzhou Honoptical Material Technology Co Ltd
• UniX AI Technology Suzhou Co Ltd
• Suzhou Tongyuan Software & Control Technology Co Ltd
• Jiangsu Institute of Advanced Semiconductors Co Ltd
• Suzhou Vega Technology Co Ltd

PhD students and industry representatives during the Industry Networking Hub

The event concluded with speeches from local enterprise representatives and Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) officials, including Huihui Wu, a member of the Suzhou Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation District CPC Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Suzhou Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation District Administrative Committee; and Yachen Liu from the Suzhou Dushu Lake Entrepreneurship Development Center. They highlighted the advantages and resources available to researchers in this innovation-driven region and discussed initiatives to promote scientific research and entrepreneurship.

Dr Duo An, a member of Suzhou’s first cohort of Distinguished Young Scientists and Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Neowise Biotechnology, shared his journey from academia to industry. He emphasised the importance of rigorous training, confidence, and perseverance gained during his PhD studies. Dr An also praised the high standard of presentations in the 3MT competition, noting the promise shown by all participants.

Shiyao Zhang, a third-year PhD student at XJTLU who was in the audience for the event, said: “It has been useful to listen to others as they discuss their research. The overall standard was great, and there are really interesting ideas and research directions. I can talk to other researchers in my field and it’s good for collaborations.”

By Catherine Diamond

Edited by Patricia Pieterse

Photos by Jingrui Duan