MT 180 2026 Competition: Date Set for the Regional Final

After an initial selection process at their respective institutions, 12 doctoral students from the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Université Gustave Eiffel, CY Cergy Paris Université, and Université Paris-Saclay will take the stage at La Terrasse on April 16 for the regional final of the MT 180 competition. They will face a demanding challenge: presenting their thesis topic in just three minutes, with clarity, pedagogy, and conviction. 

The winners of the MT 180 IP Paris competition will represent the Institut Polytechnique de Paris before a new audience of curious onlookers and non-specialists. Margherita Castellano (CMAP*) will present her work titled “Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard Equations with Surfactants,” Magali Korolev (CPHT**) will present her topic “Correlated Systems in Interaction, Transport in Mesoscopic Physics, and Quantum Information,” and Kate Sorg (LOB***) will present her research on “Biological Functions of Non-Canonical Nucleic Acid Structures Called G-Quadruplexes in Archaea.” 

A unique exercise in scientific communication 

Through dynamic presentations accessible to everyone, each candidate will share the scientific advances driven by their research. Mathematics, physics, biology, health, the environment, digital technology, energy, astrophysics, and even law: these disciplines illustrate the breadth of contemporary challenges and the essential contribution of young researchers. 

The “My Thesis in 180 Seconds” competition highlights the contestants’ ability to make science understandable, lively, and engaging. A true exercise in popular science, at the intersection of scientific rigor and oral presentation. 

An evening dedicated to excellence and sharing 

Open to all, this final promises a friendly atmosphere where curiosity and discovery will take center stage. The audience will also play a central role, as they will have the opportunity to vote for the candidate who has most convinced them and thus help select one of the winners, alongside the jury. 

At the end of the evening, two candidates—chosen respectively by the jury and the audience—will be selected to represent the Region at the MT180 national final. 

Practical Information

• Thursday, April 16, 2026

• From 6:30 PM

• Salle de la Terrasse – 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette

• Free event and open to all, registration required (mandatory)