Africa-Press – South-Africa. KwaZulu-Natal-born Yuvan Mathias Shunmugam has made history as the youngest PhD graduate in the 105-year history of the University of Pretoria’s (UP) theology and religious studies faculty.
According to the university, 25-year-old Shunmugam received his PhD in the Science of Religion during the 2022 spring graduation ceremonies at the university’s Hillcrest Campus.
His thesis was titled: “The contribution of Nishkama Karma in the philosophies of Shankara, Ramanuja, and Madhva on social cohesion”.
“My focus examined the Hindu concept of Nishkama Karma and its contribution to promoting and advancing social cohesion,” Shunmugam said.
He said:
Nishkama Karma is the act of selfless or desireless action, or when someone does something without any expectation.
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Many religions propagate the idea that the world is wrong and that upon death, one will go to a better place, Shunmugam added.
“This is typically what religion or religions teach. And that’s something I’m afraid I have to disagree with. I think religion needs to do a lot more to promote a much better world,” he added.
The young PhD graduate is passionate about Hinduism, religion studies, social activism and language education. He serves on various leadership structures, contributing to social justice or decolonial narratives. In addition to religion, he has studied archaeology, ancient languages and psychology.
He also contributes to initiatives centred on preserving and propagating his mother tongue, Tamil.
He believes mother-tongue education is vital for cultural diversity and promotes peaceful and sustainable societies.
“My grandmother was a Tamil teacher and instilled my understanding of and love for the language.”
Shunmugam credits his supervisor at UP, Professor Maniraj Sukdaven, for supporting him and instilling in him a winning mentality.
“Having a supervisor dedicated to your success is important if you’re going to complete a PhD. I was blessed,” he added.
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