Taymara Jagmohan earns PhD from University of Aberdeen

…proposes hybrid oil and gas safety model for Guyana

A once-in-a-million dream has come true for Taymara Stephania Jagmohan, as she has successfully achieved one of her lifelong dreams at the University of Aberdeen, where her PhD was conferred in November 2025.
From a young age, Jagmohan knew she wanted to be a writer. At just 16, she read over a hundred books each year to understand and appreciate various perspectives, preparing herself for the path she would later take.
However, before delving into law, Jagmohan explored the waters of science, integrating aspects of it into her doctoral thesis titled “Offshore Oil and Gas Health and Safety and Environmental Regulation in Guyana: Lessons from the UK and the US Safety Regimes.”
During her first master’s degree, she developed a keen interest in health, safety, and environmental protection. This interest, coupled with the fact that legislation in Guyana lagged behind the rapid pace of petroleum discoveries in her home country, shaped the focus of her PhD. Jagmohan undertook a robust comparative study of two experienced jurisdictions – the UK and the US – to draw lessons for Guyana.
While she initially anticipated a singular answer, her research revealed a more nuanced outcome, recommending a hybrid regime of both performance-based and prescriptive approaches to improve the legal framework and guide future reforms.
She emphasised that this summary represents just a fraction of the extensive analysis and insights she uncovered, which she hopes will be widely beneficial.
Jagmohan also described her experience in Scotland as transformative. She found the so-called “magic” of the environment unmatched, saying it was “unique only to the Scottish air.”
Immersed in the Viriditas, she connected deeply with nature, discovering a source of energy that allowed her to soar. She recounted feeling alive, with her energy rising each day, sometimes reaching a point of wildness and fury. This vitality was nurtured by her diverse activities, including conversations with her community, yoga, swimming, painting, drawing, weightlifting, endurance exercises, reading, cooking sushi, and watching Formula One.

Relentless and fearless
Despite facing detractors along the way, Jagmohan remained relentless and fearless. She described herself as “unstoppable”, demonstrating perseverance and resilience in pursuit of her goals. She cited lines from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “The Masque of Anarchy” as inspiration:
“Rise like lions after slumber in unvanquishable number – shake your chains to earth like dew.
Which in sleep had fallen on you – ye are many – they are few.”
Her supervisor echoed these sentiments, reminding her on September 4, 2025, that “anything worthwhile is worth fighting for.”
Jagmohan credited her success to her supportive supervisor, the love of God, her parents, brother, extended family, friends, nature, and examiners – acknowledging that the shared joy of achievement made her triumph even sweeter.
With an undergraduate degree, two master’s degrees, and now a fully realised PhD, Jagmohan remains tight-lipped about her next steps, playfully noting that “a woman never tells”, inspired by the line, “This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow.”
She also shared that her competitive spirit will continue to be fuelled by music: Brian Tyler’s Formula One Theme to begin her writing day and Sak Noel, Salvi, and Sean Paul’s Trumpets to accompany her workouts in the evening.
Jagmohan reflected on her journey, noting that walking in the moonlight of the forests and embracing every challenge has shaped her profoundly. Today, she stands transformed, having discovered not only the moon but also the sun, and looks forward to flowing onwards, “perhaps like the way a river flows and overflows, for there is no other alternative.”
She acknowledged the role of her reader’s support and shared enthusiasm in her journey, expressing her joy in this remarkable chapter of her life.
Founded in 1495, the University of Aberdeen is a prestigious, research-intensive institution in Scotland, consistently ranking in the UK’s top 20 and among the world’s top 300. It serves a diverse, international community of over 14,000 students across 12 schools, specialising in areas like energy, health, and AI.