MISSION

To establish Liaison with Academic institutions in North America that are promoting the study, teaching and research in the principles, philosophy, culture and history of Jain Dharma.

ROLE OF THE ACADEMIC LIAISON COMMITTEE

• Jainism is least known and most misunderstood in academia and in general public.
  
  
• Study of Jain dharma and the Jain community has not been on the radar screens of the academia and as a result the study of Jain dharma has significantly lagged behind that of other religions in the colleges and universities of North America.
  
  
• Only a handful of English speaking scholars are available  & fewer young Jain scholars are being trained to take the place of the aging group of established Jain Scholars.
  
  
• Collaboratively working with Jain community and academic institutions, ALC seeks to develop a dialog with and facilitate the promotion of studies in Jain dharma by encouraging the training of newer and young faculty and establishment of Centers, Institutes and Chairs in Jain dharma at Academic Institution across North America.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR?

College & University based Centers for Jain Studies

1. Working with International School for Jain Studies in India (ISJS), nearly 525 faculty, scholars, students (Undergrad and Grad) and High School teachers have gone to India and studied Jainism.
   Look at details on  www.isjs.in
   
   
2. 16 new and young scholars have obtained their PhDs  and that many more are working towards their PhDs  thus nearly tripling the number of English Speaking Jain scholars in the West.
    
3. Most of the new and young scholars are alumnus of ISJS.
   
   
4. Classes in Jainism are now regularly offered at 15+ institutions in North America each semester and nearly 2,000 students are now being exposed to Jainism.
   
   
5. One full- fledged Chair and a few Centers /Institutes in Jain studies have been established and functioning at a few universities. This number is expected to grow significantly during the next few years.  
   
   
6. Quite a few books, theses and research papers have started coming out regularly.
   
   
7. Sessions in Jain Dharma at prestigious AAR, and DANAM conferences  are now regular features.
   
   
8. Working with local Jain Centers/Sanghs, ALC holds regular MEET and GREET functions with Jain academics / Scholars during annual AAR and DANAM conventions.

OUR ONGOING PROGRESS

Centers for Jain Studies in United States of America TODAY!

• Centers for Jain Studies have expanded not only in the United States but across the globe in various nations.
• Besides US, we have centers for Jain studies in:

1. Canada
2. United Kingdom
3. Germany
4. Belgium
5. Israel
6. Czech Republic
7. Thailand

LIST OF CENTERS FOR JAIN STUDIES IN USA

• Loyola Marymount University - Los Angeles, CA
• Claremont Lincoln University, Claremont, CA
• Florida International University, Miami, FL- Bhagwan Mahavir Chair in Jainism; the first of its kind.
• Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA
• Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CT
• University  of Wisconsin, Madison, WI  
• University of North Texas - Denton, TX
• University of Hawaii and Windward Community College - Honolulu, HI
• Virginia Commonwealth University - Richmond, VA
• University of California - Berkeley.  CA
• Yale University - New Haven, CT.
• Rutgers University - NJ
• NorthEastern University - Boston, MA
• Claremont School of Theology - Claremont, CA

LIST OF CENTERS FOR JAIN STUDIES AROUND THE GLOBE

        CANADA

• University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
• University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
• Vanier College - Montreal, Canada

         ISRAEL 

• Anna Bazlez (a recent Ph.d in Jainism) has started teaching Jainism at  a University in Israel
  
  EUROPE
  
  
• Charles University - Prague, Czech Republic
• University of London, SOAS, London, U.K  
• Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
• Freie University in Germany , Berlin. Germany

++ Many more

ACADEMIC LIAISON COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Dr. Sulekh C. Jain - Chairman

Dr. Nitin Shah, Los Angeles, CA

Mr. Dilip V. Shah - Philadelphia, PA

Mr. Sanjay Pandya - Staten Island, NY

Mr. Pravin K Shah - Raleigh, NC

CONTACT US

Dr. Sulekh C. Jain

Chairperson JAINA Academic Liaison

scjain@earthlink.net

(281) 494-7656

   4502 Saint Michaels Court, Sugar Land, TX 77479

Dr. Nitin Shah          
Nitinshahmd@gmail.com

Dilip V. Shah          
dilipvshah@gmail.com