Orange: a science popularization competition to highlight the work of their doctoral students!

Three minutes, a thesis, a support page: a popular science format now known which consists of presenting your thesis to an uninitiated audience in the most accessible way possible. With “My thesis in 3 minutes”, Orange is offering this oratory contest to its community of doctoral students. At stake: 3 prizes awarded by the jury and 1 public prize, a ” learning expedition » on lands of innovation whose destination is still secret.

The organization of the competition

The call for applications began in June and an initial selection of 10 candidates took place on July 18 by a committee combining research, attractiveness and communication. It was aimed at all doctoral students working at Orange from the 2^e and 3^e years. To apply, they had to complete a scientific report and make a two-minute video where they introduce themselves and explain their thesis problem. Once selected, during the month of September, the candidates will benefit from full support on public speaking, in particular training in public speaking, eloquence, but also to structure and popularize written messages. .

For doctoral students, the benefits of this support will be multiple and will enhance their work. In addition, they will receive advice on “acting out” and familiarizing themselves with the use of social networks. They will thus be ready for the final of pitch battle organized on October 19 as part of the Research and Innovation Fair, final which will take place in front of the public and the jury made up of academics, journalists and collaborators, and which will be chaired by Jean Bolot, director of research of Orange.

Benefits for researchers but also for Orange

For the Orange group, this competition will be an opportunity to highlight light their experts, to better understand their professions and their field of research. This event also aims to attract talent and introduce them to the work environment in which they can evolve.

Publicizing the Orange doctoral program is also a way to promote this course and show that the Group is rising to the level of international standards, particularly Anglo-Saxon, which is important for an international company like Orange.

And for these doctoral students, this competition is a great way to promote their scientific research to as many people as possible. Public speaking is increasingly being brought up to date because it is important in research to work on both form and content. A similar exercise had already existed for a few years during days dedicated to doctoral students. It has now taken on another dimension by being integrated into the Research and Innovation Fair that Orange organizes to promote major activities as well as the researchers and innovators who design them.

Research, a strong component of the Group

Orange is a key player in digital innovation, with a strong vision and a Research and Innovation activity supported by 8,000 people. In 2021, the Group continued its efforts by matter research and innovation by devoting 620 million euros to it. Orange’s research is historically part of its DNA. It aims to improve everyone’s daily life and respond to major societal challenges.

Today, the group employs 720 people, including 120 doctoral and post-doctoral students with varied skills who work in research in France and abroad. This is all the more essential now with the question of sovereignty which is becoming more and more strategic. Having researchers within it means understanding the technology, keeping control of it and thus participating in standardization work on standards that will be deployed tomorrow in our networks and services.

In terms of patents, intellectual property is one of the results of their research work, the Orange group being the 1^er filing patents among European operators, in its fields of activity, including 200 new inventions protected by patent on average each year.

How many doctoral students are hosted at Orange and what subjects do they work on?

Orange welcomes around a hundred doctoral students and just over thirty post-docs. They work on the future of telecoms with research in various fields such as the optimization of 5G using Artificial Intelligence, the preparation of the future 6G, or even video encoding as we have been able to do with the MPEG-4 or more recently HEVC, but also in the social sciences on the future of digital uses.

The collaboration is also long-term

In general, half of the people the Group hires in Research each year have done a thesis at Orange. Because they know how it works, have shown all their talent and above all present high-level profiles with strong and new skills on subjects as strategic as cybersecurity or quantum for example. It really is an investment in the future!

So, see you in September to discover the ten selected doctoral students!

Article produced in partnership with Orange