Three minutes to success for TUT lecturer and doctoral candidate

A Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) lecturer and doctoral candidate will represent the University at regional level after winning the SANORD Three Minute Thesis Institutional Competition. Her achievement highlights excellence in research communication and showcases the ability to present complex academic work in a clear and engaging way.

Khetho Mokete, Project Officer (International Agency) in the Internalisation Office- Research and Innovation- handing Tanja van der Merwe her gift. Tanja van der Merwe, Lecturer at the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at TUT’s eMalahleni Campus, has won the Competition organised by TUT’s Internationalisation Office in partnership with the Southern African-Nordic Centre (SANORD). The competition challenged PhD students to present their doctoral research clearly and engagingly to an audience in just three minutes.

Van der Merwe said winning the competition was never her primary objective.

“My supervisor, Prof Thelma de Jager, encouraged me to participate. I joined for the experience and to grow as a presenter, to see if I could take years of complex research and turn it into something clear, engaging and meaningful for a non-academic audience,” she said.

“When they announced my name, I was genuinely surprised. I am truly grateful to the panel for their recognition, while I also appreciate the guidance I received along the way, because it helped me create a presentation that I could be proud to deliver for TUT,” Van der Merwe added.

Van der Merwe is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in the Department of Education Foundation, Faculty of Humanities at TUT. Her presentation focused on her thesis, Development of an Assessment Framework for Work-Integrated Learning in Business Administration at a South African University of Technology.

Tanja van der Merwe said condensing years of research into a three-minute presentation proved to be the greatest challenge.

“Three minutes sounds like plenty of time, until you try it. I had to rewrite and restructure endless times to keep the science accurate but still engaging enough for a general audience,” she said.

Tanja van der Merwe with a gift awarded to her by TUT’s Internationalisation Office. “That taught me a valuable lesson: if you try to say everything, you end up saying nothing clearly. There was definitely pressure, but the kind that pushes you to learn fast,” she added.

Van der Merwe will now represent TUT at the SANORD 3MT 2026 Regional Competition, which takes place in September 2026 during the annual SANORD Conference.

Van der Merwe described the opportunity to represent the University as a privilege.

“I started my academic journey at TUT and now I get to represent the University at a regional level, which feels like coming full circle. I am committed to doing my best and honouring the trust they've placed in me,” she concluded.