Congratulations: (From left) Yohashama and Yohanathan posing for a photo during the November 2024 Monash Graduation.
In a world where individual achievements often steal the spotlight, the story of brothers Dr Yohashama and Dr Yohanathan Kumaran shines differently.
Their doctoral graduation wasn’t just a personal milestone – it was a testament to shared dreams, familial support, and the unbreakable bond between siblings.
Six years apart in age but synchronised in their pursuit of academia excellence, Yohashama and Yohanathan both earned their doctoral degrees during the Monash University Malaysia Graduation Ceremony on Nov 24.
Growing up in Ipoh, education was always a priority in the Kumaran household. Their mother, a dedicated secondary school teacher who retired as a senior assistant of student affairs, and their father, a general manager at a local manufacturing plant, had cultivated an environment where education wasn’t just a path but a cherished journey.
From an early age, the brothers’ paths seemed destined to be different, yet equally remarkable. Yohashama’s fascination with the mysterious quantum world pulled him towards physics, while Yohanathan, who was always busy dismantling electrical equipment, was driven by an insatiable curiosity about how things worked.
Yohashama went on to graduate with Bachelor of Science (Physics) from Universiti Malaya with first-class honours before completing a coveted internship at the Large Hadron Collider (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland, and Yohanathan earned a degree in Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering at Monash University Malaysia. Despite pursuing different academic fields, the brothers were each other’s staunchest supporters, eventually pursuing their PhDs at Monash University Malaysia.“Although our research was in different fields, we would discuss how our writing was going and provide helpful feedback to each other,” Yohashama recalled.
Struggles and triumphs
Yohashama’s work focused on relativistic quantum theory while Yohanathan’s PhD research focused on online backlash identification and estimation of remaining useful life in the joints of high-speed industrial robots.
Yohashama described his fascination with quantum mechanics as the driving force behind his work.
“The strange and counterintuitive behaviour of the quantum world always intrigued me,” he shared, while Yohanathan worked on improving the reliability of industrial robots in solar panel manufacturing.
“The end goal was to improve the reliability of the hundreds of robots used to build a solar panel, driving down the manufacturing cost and making the adoption of solar energy more cost-effective,” Yohanathan said.
Their doctoral journeys were far from smooth. Both brothers faced challenges during their PhD studies. Yohashama faced a crushing moment when he had to revise a research objective six months into his work – a setback that could have derailed less determined scholars. “It was discouraging. However, with encouragement from my family, and guidance from my supervisor Assoc Prof Lan Boon Leong, who specialises in relativistic and non-relativistic quantum dynamics, we revised the second objective and managed to get some interesting results before my progress review, which I had to pass,” he said.
Yohanathan too found himself struggling.He wrestled with identifying novel approaches to solving robotic failures, a challenge that demanded persistent research and experimentation.
“Once that was achieved, the challenge was to collect and document good data and write the thesis,” he shared.
Graduating together was a proud moment for the family of four boys.
“During the graduation ceremony, I could hear people whispering to each other wondering whether we were twins,” said Yohashama, who is currently teaching physics at Methodist College Kuala Lumpur.
Describing it as a “wonderful milestone”, Yohanathan, who is now concentrating on robotics in the renewable energy industry, said sharing a graduation with his brother was truly a significant moment.
With doctorates in hand, the duo are looking into potential collaborations that combine their unique expertise.
“Perhaps we could investigate the use of neural networks to analyse quantum phase transitions in spin chains or other systems,” Yohashama offered.
Advising aspiring PhD candidates to always share their experiences and struggles with those close to them for encouragement, Yohashama said such conversations could also be a source of learning for them in case they ever find themselves in a similar situation.
“Embrace the opportunity to share this experience with your loved ones, as it can strengthen your bond and provide mutual encouragement throughout your academic journey,” Yohanathan added.
