International Summer School for Jain Studies

Academic Guidance
World Council of Jain Academies
20, James Close, London NW11 9QX (UK)
Tele :  +442084555573, +442084555573, Fax : +442089227619
E-Mail : NatubhaiShah@aol.com

Academic Coordinator
North America Chapter of World Council of Jain Academies

Sponsors & Coordinator
Mahavir World Vision Inc., U.S.A.
4502, Saint Michaels Court
Sugar Land, Texas-77479, USA
Tele & Fax :  281-494-7656, 281-494-7656
E-Mail : scjain@earthlink.net

Participating Indian Institutions:
Bhogi Lal Leher Chand Institute of Indology,
20th KM, G. T. Kamal Road, Post Office : Alipur, Delhi-110036, India, Tele : 91-11-27202065

Jain Vidhya Sansthan, Shri Mahavirji Gaipur Branch)
34/306, Sawai Ram Singh Road, Jaipur-302004, Rajasthan, India, Tele : 91-141-2385247

Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, Ladnun-341306, Rajasthan
Tele : 91-1581-222110

Kundkund Gyanpeeth, Indore
584, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Indore, Madhya Pradesh-452 001, India, Tele : 91-731-2545744

Parshvanath Vidhyapeeth, Varanasi
ITI Road, Karaundi, Post Office : B. H. D., Varanasi-221005, Tele : 0542257552, E-Mail : pvri@sify.com

Ahinsa Foundation, Delhi
21 Skipper House, 9, Pusa Road, New Delhi, Tele : 011-25815011, 9810046108, E-Mail : ahinsa@jainsamaj.org

Jain Academy Educational & Research Centre, Mumbai University
Janesswar Bhawan, Vidya Nagri Campus, Kalina, Santacruz (East), Mumbai - 400098

Implementing Organisation
International Summer School For Jain Studies, D-28, Panchsheel Enclave, New Delhi-110017 (India)
Phone : 9818139000, 91-11-26493931, E-Mail : svana@vsnl.com

Preamble : Jainism is one of the three major religions that developed in the Indian sub-continent before the Common Era, and is followed by several million Jains in India, with sizeable numbers in Europe, East Africa, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Nepal, Malaysia, Middle East and North America. A high proportion of nearly 200,000 Jains outside India are in business or in profession.

The exemplary luminary for Jains is Mahavir, an older contemporary of the Buddha, who is often described by non-Jains as the 'founder of Jainism'. However, Mahavir is for Jains the last of the twenty­four tirthankaras (spiritual path founders') or jinas (self-conquerors) of our era, and the successor of the religious teaching of Parsvanatha, the twenty-third tirthankara.

The Jain community and tradition can be seen as a microcosm of Indian society and ways of thought. Jain scholarship over the centuries has covered such secular fields as science, mathematics and logic, as well as religion and philosophy. Jain theories of life and the universe are of interest to modern science. Jain ethical concepts have a direct relevance to many current world issues. Its contribution to the Indian heritage and culture is outstanding.

"The dissemination of Jain values is a worthy ideal, at the heart of all Jains." Beginning with the time of Tirthankar Mahavir, Jain teaching-monks performed this task through personal contacts, "but now with the changing lifestyles, modern education, instant communication and the internationalisation of the Jain community, the dissemination requires the study of Jainism at the academic level both for its traditional and contemporary aspects." To progress towards this ideal and to carry out and coordinate Jain Academic activities in North America, Europe & India: The Jain Academy GA) in 1991, Mahavir World Vision Inc. (MWVI) in 1994. The Jain Academic Foundation of North America GAFNA) in 1995 and the World Council of Jain Academies (WCJA) in 1999 were established.

The present project for The Academic Study of Jainism in North America attempts to build on the achievements of JA, JAFNA, MWVI and WCJA but with this two-fold distinction: it is fully integrated within the American university system, in which students can earn credits towards degrees; and it is integrated with academic institutions in India, aimed at helping students understand Jainism within its indigenous environments. The project welcomes the European Universities and Academic Institutions in other countries to join this initiative. It has full co-operation for financial resources from the Mahavir World Vision Inc. USA.

A Fast Track Course At A Su...1"Jlmer School in India : India Partner Institutions are pivotal to the program. They make India a "classroom" for their visitors, and enable them to get an insider's view of Jainism, which never could be replicated in America. What they learn, how they learn, and where they learn will make the India experience unforgettable to students and professors alike. The Partner Institutions stand to benefit by the interchange. They are introduced to new ways of thinking about Jainism, and will sense the need to adapt Jain principles to the modern world. Contacts will also be made between individuals and institutions for future collaboration.

The Students and plan for teaching : The first batch comprising of 7 students and one professor from USA & Canada will arrive in India on 1 st June 2005 for an eight-week intensive course in Jainism. This fast-track, two-tiered program is open to students and professors in American and European universities. Its purpose is to impart advanced grounding/ skills in the Jain religion (for an understanding of the many facets of Jainism including its history, culture, politics, philosophy, ethics and practice). The teaching will include :

* Interactive classroom lectures using modern teaching aides and tools by eminent Jain scholars.
* Live interaction by visits to Jain homes, family ceremonies, temple worship, rituals, festivals, pilgrimage and visual and performing arts.
* Interactions with Jain monks and nuns.
* Access to Jain libraries, literature and interaction with prominent Jains.

This program will be conducted each summer, beginning 2005, for a period of two months (June, July). The program is open to all full-time graduate students (enrolled in an American or European universities), post-graduate students and to all full-time professors / lecturers employed in an American or European university, regardless of religion, race, or citizenship. The most important qualification for the professor / lecturer is to be personally, and professionally committed to the promotion of Jain studies in his or her university, through recruiting students, and seeing to it that Jainism is made a part of the department's curriculum. The eminent lecturers selected to teach in India will be well versed in their subject and for communications in English. Our partner Jain institutions in India also stand to benefit by the exchange of knowledge, academic exchanges and affiliations and giving the academicians international exposure to the Jain way of life. At the initiative taken by the WCJA, Prof. Cromwell Crawford of University of Hawaii and the group of concerned Jains in North America and Europe have developed this project.

The course provides an introduction to Jainism in the widest sense, covering Jain doctrine, the social history of the Jains, Jain heritage, rituals and their importance in the life of the people, Jain way of life, place of Jainism in modern society, and contemporary religious practice. At the end of the course a student will become familiar with the principal issues of Jain research, and able to identify both the philosophical, ritual and organisational differences between the main Jain sects, and the role of syncretic imports from other religious and cultural traditions. On successful completion of the course the World Council of Jain Academies will issue a certificate of competence. The course requires no knowledge of Indian languages.

The programme: 2005 Summer school in Jain studies will be held at

Organizing Committee

Program Director : Dr. Sulekh Chand Jain, Houston, Texas, USA
Dr Sulekh Jain is the Past President of Jain Society of Houston, Texas; Jain Center of Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; Jain Academic Foundation of North America (JAFNA); Federation of Jain Associations in North America ( Jaina); Founder member of Jain Center of Boston (Massachusetts) and Jain Center of Central Ohio; Founder member and Past Trustee of Jain Spirit International Magazine; London UK. Currently, he is Trustee of Ahimsa Foundation India; Vice President, Mahavir World Vision, Ine. USA & Deputy Secretary General, World Council of Jain Academies.

Academic Director : Prof. Cromwell Crawford, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Professor of Comparative Religion
Medical Ethics in Indian religious traditions.
(Book): Hindu Bioethics for the Twenty- First Century
Jain Activities: Speaker at JAINA conventions and Young Jains of America conferences; Advisory Board member of Jain Spirit (London) and Ahimsa Foundation (Delhi); writer for Jain Spirit; Director, The Academic Study of Jainism in North America.
Mission: to advance Jain studies in academic centres in the US. and abroad.

India Director : Shugan Chand Jain BE, M.Tech and MA Gainology).
Retired IT consultant & Advisor to leading organisations of U. S. A, Europe and India. Since 2001,devotes his time to the study and practice of Jainism. Also enrolled as a Ph.D student in Jain philosophy. Published 5 Papers on Jain Philosophy.

Academic Council
USA & UK : Director : Prof. Cromwell Crawford, Ph.D., Honolulu, Hawaii
Prof. Christopher Key Chapple, Ph.D., Los Angles
Professor, Theological Studies, and Associate Academic Vice President at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angles, USA. A Distinguished scholar or Jainism; author of several books, frequent invited speaker at many Jain functions in North America & India. Active supporter of Jain causes.

Prof. John E. Cort, Ph.D., Granville, Ohio
Professor of Asian and Comparative Religions at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, USA. He is the editor of Open Boundaries: Jain Communities and Cultures in Indian History (Albany, NY, 1998), and Kendall Folkert, Scripture and Community: Collected Essqys on the Jains (Atlanta, GA, 1993).

He is the author of Jains in the World. Rdigious Values and Ideology in India (New York and New Delhi, 2001), as well as several dozen scholarly articles on the Jains.

Dr. Natubhai Shah, London, UK
Dr. Shah is a retired medical practitioner, Ph.D. in Jain Religion; an academic; visiting Professor in Jain Studies in he Faculty of Comparative Religion at Antwerpa community and interfaith leader and philanthropist; responsible for the creation of beautiful Jain Temples in Leicester, UK and the author of Jainism - The World of Conqueror.

He was choosen as the 'Man of the Year' by the American Biographical Institute, was awarded 'Jain Ratna' by the Prime Minister of India in 2001. Secretary General of the World Council of Jain Academies.

Dr. Atul K. Shah, Colchester, U.K.
Dr. Atul K. Shah is the Founder and Executive Editor of the Jain Spirit International magazine. He has a Ph.D. from London School of Economics and has taught at the Universities of Bristol, Essex (in the UK.) and Maryland (in USA). He is the founder of Young Jains of UK., author of several books on business and ethics, and acclaimed invited and keynote speaker and a dynamic community leader.

Dr. Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad, Lancaster, U.K.
Director of Graduate Research, Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University, UK. His primary interest within Jainism is in developing a philosophically rigorous account of political ethics derived from anekanta, naya and syadvada, that will offer a logically coherent alternative to pluralism.

Inida Director : Shugan Chand Jain, NewDelhi
Prof. Kamal Chand Sogani , Ph.D., Jaipur
M.A. Philosophy, B.Sc (Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics, Ph.D in Jaina philosophy
Ex. Prof. of philosophy at M.L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur (Rajasthan).
Currently Director of Jaina Vidya Samsthan (Jaipur), director of Apbhramsa Sahitya Academy (Jaipur). He is the Chairman of Prakrta Bhasa Samiti, Prakrat Academy (Jaipur).
Member of Indian Council of Philosophical Research (Delhi).
Has been awarded several national and international citations and recognitions in Jain philosophy. He has published 25 Books and several papers on Jainism.

Prof. Sagarmal Jain, Ph.D., Shajapur, Madhya Pradesh
M.A. Philosophy Ph.D, Director(Emiritus) Parsvanath Vidyapeeth
Founder Director of Prachya Vidyapeeth Shajapur M.P
Guided 50 Ph.D Theses and 20 M.A. Taught more than 100 sandhus and sadhvis. Written more than 25 books and 20 tracts
Published 200 research articles

Dr. Vimal P. Jain, Delhi
Triple M.A., Ph.D., Director, B.L.Insitute of Indology, Delhi since 1997.
Retired as professor of Sanskrit, Prakrat and Pali from University of Jabalpur, MP (India) in 1993. Has lectured at Jain Centres in Northern California, Greater Detroit and Columbus, Ohio, USA. Has conducted two international seminars of 20 summer schools on Prakrat language and Jain Religion.

Samani Chaitanya Pragya, Ladnun, Rajasthan
Ph.D., Asst. Prof. (Jainology), Jain Vishwa Bharati Institute, Ladnun
Practicing Jain Nun, devoted to teaching and propagation of Jain Philosophy. Published several papers on Philosophy and Jainism.

Dr. Anupam Jain, Indore
M.Sc. (Mathematics), M.Phil (Mathematics), Ph.D. (History of Mathematics)
Senior Assistant Professor - Govt. Autonomous Holkar Science Collage,Indore
Hony. Director- Ganini Jnanmati Prakrta Sodhapitha Jambudvipa hastinapur
Hony. Secretary and Excutive Director Kundakunda Jnanapitha
He has published 6 Books and 52 Research papers

Students
Prof. James L. Fredericks, Ph.D., Los Angles, California
Prof. Fredericks holds doctorate in theology from the University of Chicago and has been a member of the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University for 14 years. He is a specialist in inter-religious dialogue. Jim is also a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese at San Francisco. Jim's interest in Jain studies comes through his work in Buddhist­Christian Dialogue.

Robin Brinkmann, Claremont, California
She is a Ph.D. student at the Claremont Graduate University in California in the department of the Philosophy of Religion and Theology, conducting research that will lead to greater communication between Christianity and South Asian religious systems. She has been a teacher of Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavat Purana, and Chaitanya Charitamrta for the past 30 years as affiliates of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. She is interested in studying Jainism as she would eventually like to do an indepth comparative study of Jainism and Vaishnava as a possible dissertation topic.

Sarah Hadmack, Manoa, Hawaii
She is a second year Graduate Student in Religious Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii, USA. Her special focus is in Jainism: asceticism, diasporic communities, temple worship, relationship to ecology, lay communities, promotion of education of Jainism in America, especially in college religious studies and comparative religion departments.

Christopher Handy, Honolulu, Hawaii
He is currently working towards an M.A. degree in Religion at the University of Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. His focus is on religious practices in India; ascetic practices and mysticism. His career goal is to teach Jainism among wold religions at the University level.

Tim Helton, Claremont, California
He is doing Master of Arts in Theological Studies with emphasis on Philosophy of Religion from University of Claremont School of Theology has a interest in Jainism. He has read of Jainism that the ahimsa at the core of Jainism carries with it a radical respect for the autonomy of others. Jainism is relatively unfamiliar to those in the West, it could also be for many, an object of study. By focusing on J ainism as "another religion" with nonviolence as its center, an instructor might lead students to consider a non-absolutist approach and to practice that approach on another religion Jainism.

Laura Newberry, Claremont, California
She is currently working on her PhD at Claremont Graduate University in the Women's Studies in Religion program at Claramount, California, USA. She holds a BA. in Classical Studies and Spanish from The College of Wooster in Ohio. Her current research interests are primarily focused within the realm of South Asian Religions, particularly Hindu Goddesses and Jainism. She has done extensive research on Homeric expressions of time, women roles in Spanish and Classical contexts, and pilgrimages. Jainism? She is particularly drawn to Jainism for its commitment to non-violence (ahemsa) and its devotion to the value of all living things.

Marcel Parent, Montreal, Canada
He is presently in the PhD program at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. He is an expert in Buddhist and Jain Studies, Indian Philosophy and 20th century French and German philosophy. His interest in Jainism is due to both its place as an influential altern in the South Asian context and also due to its long history of anti-foundationless and perspectivalism. His own project is to examine these themes in their historical context, but also their applicability in a global setting where he feels Jain thought needs more of a voice.

Faculty and Other Activities
The faculty includes :
* Jain scholars recognised for their contribution to Jain philosophy for post graduate and higher university studies.
* Jain businessmen, professionals, others with special interest in practicing and spreading Jain principles
* Jain Monks & Nuns

Other activities include :
* Visits to various Jain pilgrimages temples and museums to provide first hand experience of Jain culture and its practice.
* Meeting and interactions will eminent Jain families for exchange of views.

Organizing Committees
Mahavir World Vision, Inc., USA
Dr. Mahendra K. Pandya, Staten Island, New York, USA
Dr. Tansukh J. Salgia, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Dr. Surendar K. Sethi, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

World Council of Jain Academies
Dr. Sulekh C. Jain, Houston, Texas, USA
Prof. Cromwell Crawford, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Dr. Natubhai Shah, London, UK

International Summer School for Jain Studies
Shugan C. Jain, Delhi, India
Prof. Mahendra L. Jain, Delhi, India
Aditya Jain, Delli, India

Students Pre- Requisites

American Students kindly note :
* You are expected to enroll in the spring semester (prior to trip) in a seminar on Indian Religion / Philosophy, with focus on some aspects of Jainism, for 3 credits.
* The Jain component should be substantial.
* In the summer, you will enroll in field methods in Religion / Philosophy, for 3 credits.
* Following the seminar, session, your will write an analytical paper for course for 3 credits.
* Total credits earned are 9.
* The above model is only to serve as a guideline, actual distribution of courses of credits will very with each department and university.

The organizing committee in working on the requirements for the european students.

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Mail to : Ahimsa Foundation
www.jainsamaj.org
R190106