Mr Rajeev Maharaj graduated cum laude with Master’s in Mathematics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

In his research Maharaj tackled the pronormality in finite groups. ‘The dissertation was largely motivated by his aim to produce a survey on the theory and associated concepts of pronormality in finite groups. This was done by progressively addressing the properties, characterisations and generalisations of pronormality in finite groups,’ said Maharaj.

Maharaj initially pursued a degree in Chemical Engineering at UKZN but due to certain health issues and other factors, he chose to opt out of the degree.

‘It was a great learning experience. I was intrigued by the variety of Mathematics that was taught to us,’ Maharaj.

This led to him pursuing a BSc M Stream degree at UKZN. ‘I always had a passion for Mathematics. It was something that always intrigued me. The general consensus in the world is that Mathematics is very difficult but at the same time it is very important in various facets of our lives,’ said Maharaj.

Maharaj has encountered some struggles in his journey to graduation, but with the assistance from his lecturers and his determination to pull through and adhere to deadlines, he was able to overcome these obstacles.

‘It was a struggle to find a topic for my dissertation.  I also struggled with reviewing high volume content that was fairly unknown to me. I had to grasp a lot of concepts in a short amount time and adhere to deadlines that were set,’ said Maharaj.

‘My advice to students is to always have good time-management. They should devote more time to the courses in which they are having difficulties. Reading other textbooks and finding additional material on the internet may be helpful too.’

Maharaj’s supervisor, Bernardo Rodrigues, said:  ‘Among many of Rajeev’s characteristics, those that have impressed me are his humbleness and respectful nature.  Rajeev has grown into a mature and quite independent person. These are important traits to have if one’s goals are the academic path and research enquiry’.

Maharaj is currently pursuing his PhD in Mathematics. Once completed, he hopes to continue academia but also collaborate on projects with esteemed international researchers in the field.

Words: Zolile Duma