ISJS, the preferred Global centre for Jain studiesReport 2011

The unique experiment ‘ISJS’ to take the academic studies of Jainism to the universities of the world was launched inJanuary 2005. Since then ISJS made significant progress and expanded its reach in India and abroad. The graph belowshows the progress in terms of the participants who have benefitted by our International Summer School for Jain Studies(ISSJS) programs so far.

ISSJS program is designed based on the Jain concept of svadhyaya/learning (Learn Observe Visualize Experience) atdifferent places of interest for Jainism (and way of life). A typical ISSJS program included over 100 class room lecturesby eminent Jain scholars, visits to temples, monks and nuns, laity, rituals, pilgrim places and social welfare organizationsrun by Jains.

Now ISSJS 2012 programs are designed as ISSJS2012.3W for undergraduate students, ISSJS2012.4W for graduatestudents and ISSJS2012.6W for PhD students and faculty members in India and two schools of three weeks each atChulalongkorn and Mahidol Universities in Bangkok Thailand. Also we are now restricting admissions to twelvecandidates per program to enhance participant-faculty interaction and individual attention.

Since 2009 ISJS is working on developing a network of Indian universities and Jainology Research institutes tosupplement its network of foreign universities. Informal relationships have been established with University of Madras,Rajasthan University and with formal agreements with Mangalayatan, TMU, JVB and Shobhit Universities. ISJS nowmanages Parshwanath Vidyapeeth Varanasi and is now developing relations with other similar research institutes in theform of a Federation of Institutes of Jainology.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS DURING 2011

The following additional initiatives were successfully launched and implemented since 2009-10:

a. Mr. Christopher Fleming, a Fulbright Nehru scholar joined ISJS on August 17th 2011 for one year study of Jainismand Sanskrit language.

b. Inviting Jain scholars Prof. Jeffery D Long of Penn, Prof. Gary Francione of Rutgers USA and Mr. Paul Palmorozzaof UK from abroad to teach at ISJS programs in India. Internet and Skype technologies were used to make theselectures from the last two speakers succeed.

c. Internationalizing Parshwanath Vidyapeeth by upgrading its quarterly journal Shraman and facilities, inducting moreresearch staff, offering courses in Jainism and Prakrat languages and opening a Delhi branch.

d. Holding seminars on various sciences based philosophical seminars and encourages publication of papers and books.e. Two days workshop on Jain Epistemology in Delhi for faculty members of ISJS and other Jain scholars in Delhi.

Enhancing teaching skills and research methodologies of ISJS and Parshwanath Vidyapeeth facultiesf. ISJS accreditation by Mangalayatan University and Florida International University.g. Setting up ISJS centre of Jain Studies at Claremont Lincoln University Claremont CA USA.h. Setting up a Jain studies centre at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia USAi. MOU with Vanier College Montreal Canada.j. Distinguished Professors namely Viney Jain, R. P. Jain (Muenster Univ. Germany), Prakash C Jain (JNU), Kamla

Jain (DU), S.R. Bhat (DU) now are dedicated academic and management board members of ISJS India.k. Jain Vidhya Sansthan of Jaipur has agreed to be a joint host of ISSJS programs in Jaipur.l. JAINA entrusted holding the Jain Leadership Summit with the theme ‘Empowering the underprivileged’ to ISJS.

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2005

ISJS, the preferred Global centre for Jain studiesReport 2011

The unique experiment ‘ISJS’ to take the academic studies of Jainism to the universities of the world was launched inJanuary 2005. Since then ISJS made significant progress and expanded its reach in India and abroad. The graph belowshows the progress in terms of the participants who have benefitted by our International Summer School for Jain Studies(ISSJS) programs so far.

ISSJS program is designed based on the Jain concept of svadhyaya/learning (Learn Observe Visualize Experience) atdifferent places of interest for Jainism (and way of life). A typical ISSJS program included over 100 class room lecturesby eminent Jain scholars, visits to temples, monks and nuns, laity, rituals, pilgrim places and social welfare organizationsrun by Jains.

Now ISSJS 2012 programs are designed as ISSJS2012.3W for undergraduate students, ISSJS2012.4W for graduatestudents and ISSJS2012.6W for PhD students and faculty members in India and two schools of three weeks each atChulalongkorn and Mahidol Universities in Bangkok Thailand. Also we are now restricting admissions to twelvecandidates per program to enhance participant-faculty interaction and individual attention.

Since 2009 ISJS is working on developing a network of Indian universities and Jainology Research institutes tosupplement its network of foreign universities. Informal relationships have been established with University of Madras,Rajasthan University and with formal agreements with Mangalayatan, TMU, JVB and Shobhit Universities. ISJS nowmanages Parshwanath Vidyapeeth Varanasi and is now developing relations with other similar research institutes in theform of a Federation of Institutes of Jainology.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS DURING 2011

The following additional initiatives were successfully launched and implemented since 2009-10:

a. Mr. Christopher Fleming, a Fulbright Nehru scholar joined ISJS on August 17th 2011 for one year study of Jainismand Sanskrit language.

b. Inviting Jain scholars Prof. Jeffery D Long of Penn, Prof. Gary Francione of Rutgers USA and Mr. Paul Palmorozzaof UK from abroad to teach at ISJS programs in India. Internet and Skype technologies were used to make theselectures from the last two speakers succeed.

c. Internationalizing Parshwanath Vidyapeeth by upgrading its quarterly journal Shraman and facilities, inducting moreresearch staff, offering courses in Jainism and Prakrat languages and opening a Delhi branch.

d. Holding seminars on various sciences based philosophical seminars and encourages publication of papers and books.e. Two days workshop on Jain Epistemology in Delhi for faculty members of ISJS and other Jain scholars in Delhi.

Enhancing teaching skills and research methodologies of ISJS and Parshwanath Vidyapeeth facultiesf. ISJS accreditation by Mangalayatan University and Florida International University.g. Setting up ISJS centre of Jain Studies at Claremont Lincoln University Claremont CA USA.h. Setting up a Jain studies centre at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia USAi. MOU with Vanier College Montreal Canada.j. Distinguished Professors namely Viney Jain, R. P. Jain (Muenster Univ. Germany), Prakash C Jain (JNU), Kamla

Jain (DU), S.R. Bhat (DU) now are dedicated academic and management board members of ISJS India.k. Jain Vidhya Sansthan of Jaipur has agreed to be a joint host of ISSJS programs in Jaipur.l. JAINA entrusted holding the Jain Leadership Summit with the theme ‘Empowering the underprivileged’ to ISJS.

Living beings help each other

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Figure 1 Scholars enrolment in ISSJS

ISJS, the preferred Global centre for Jain studiesReport 2011

The unique experiment ‘ISJS’ to take the academic studies of Jainism to the universities of the world was launched inJanuary 2005. Since then ISJS made significant progress and expanded its reach in India and abroad. The graph belowshows the progress in terms of the participants who have benefitted by our International Summer School for Jain Studies(ISSJS) programs so far.

ISSJS program is designed based on the Jain concept of svadhyaya/learning (Learn Observe Visualize Experience) atdifferent places of interest for Jainism (and way of life). A typical ISSJS program included over 100 class room lecturesby eminent Jain scholars, visits to temples, monks and nuns, laity, rituals, pilgrim places and social welfare organizationsrun by Jains.

Now ISSJS 2012 programs are designed as ISSJS2012.3W for undergraduate students, ISSJS2012.4W for graduatestudents and ISSJS2012.6W for PhD students and faculty members in India and two schools of three weeks each atChulalongkorn and Mahidol Universities in Bangkok Thailand. Also we are now restricting admissions to twelvecandidates per program to enhance participant-faculty interaction and individual attention.

Since 2009 ISJS is working on developing a network of Indian universities and Jainology Research institutes tosupplement its network of foreign universities. Informal relationships have been established with University of Madras,Rajasthan University and with formal agreements with Mangalayatan, TMU, JVB and Shobhit Universities. ISJS nowmanages Parshwanath Vidyapeeth Varanasi and is now developing relations with other similar research institutes in theform of a Federation of Institutes of Jainology.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS DURING 2011

The following additional initiatives were successfully launched and implemented since 2009-10:

a. Mr. Christopher Fleming, a Fulbright Nehru scholar joined ISJS on August 17th 2011 for one year study of Jainismand Sanskrit language.

b. Inviting Jain scholars Prof. Jeffery D Long of Penn, Prof. Gary Francione of Rutgers USA and Mr. Paul Palmorozzaof UK from abroad to teach at ISJS programs in India. Internet and Skype technologies were used to make theselectures from the last two speakers succeed.

c. Internationalizing Parshwanath Vidyapeeth by upgrading its quarterly journal Shraman and facilities, inducting moreresearch staff, offering courses in Jainism and Prakrat languages and opening a Delhi branch.

d. Holding seminars on various sciences based philosophical seminars and encourages publication of papers and books.e. Two days workshop on Jain Epistemology in Delhi for faculty members of ISJS and other Jain scholars in Delhi.

Enhancing teaching skills and research methodologies of ISJS and Parshwanath Vidyapeeth facultiesf. ISJS accreditation by Mangalayatan University and Florida International University.g. Setting up ISJS centre of Jain Studies at Claremont Lincoln University Claremont CA USA.h. Setting up a Jain studies centre at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia USAi. MOU with Vanier College Montreal Canada.j. Distinguished Professors namely Viney Jain, R. P. Jain (Muenster Univ. Germany), Prakash C Jain (JNU), Kamla

Jain (DU), S.R. Bhat (DU) now are dedicated academic and management board members of ISJS India.k. Jain Vidhya Sansthan of Jaipur has agreed to be a joint host of ISSJS programs in Jaipur.l. JAINA entrusted holding the Jain Leadership Summit with the theme ‘Empowering the underprivileged’ to ISJS.

Living beings help each other

2010 2011

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS OF ISSJS ALUMNI

Several ISSJS alumni have completed PhDs with major emphasis on Jainism and now teaching in universities ofNorth America (Prof. Natalia Zheleznova of Russia, Dr. Nathan Loewen at Vanier College Montreal, Dr. AndreaJain in Indiana University, Dr. Pankaj Jain in University of North Texas, Mr. Josef Bartosek at University ofPrague.)

Ms. Leah Costello, ISSJS2009 alumnus delivering motivating lectures and getting ISSJS programs recognized byher university.

Those alumni pursuing PhD are Ms. Ellen Gough, Ms Lynna Dhanani both at Yale University, Ms Sarah Hadmackat Hawaii University and Ms Brianne Donaldson at Claremont Lincoln University, Ms Ana Bajzlelj at University.Many more are in the process of applying for PhD programs.

Ms. Kathleen Awahoshi, an ISSJS2007 alumnus, successfully launched her CD on Navakar mantra Some ISSJS alumni are nominating ISSJS as their preferred centre of education for prestigious Scholarships. Prof. U.T Kragh and Mrs. K Kragh, Ms. Ana B Bajzelj all ISJS 2010 alumni came to India during 2010-11 for

further studies of Prakrat language.

MISCELLANEOUS

American Institute of Indian Studies regularly brings large batches of Students and faculty from Americanuniversities to ISJS for a day long orientation on Jainism. So far four batches of 28 each from Universities ofColorado, North Carolina State, Waterloo, benefitted from ISJS programs.

Revised ISJS Study Notes with ten more papers (a total of about 600 Pages) are being published. In March 2010. ISJS cosponsored Conference on Jain Yoga at SOAS, University of London. Several journals, like Jin Manjari and Arhant Vachan carried special editions of papers by ISSJS alumni. Shramana

of PV had been upgraded to be an international journal Initiating an exhaustive program of imparting Jain education to youngsters, educated youth, adults and monks is

being organized for pan India coverage. ISJS is planning to introduce MA, M Phil and PhD programs in association with several universities in India. MA

programs in Jain studies and Prakrit Certificate programs have already been launched at PV. A four books set on Jain history from the time of Tirrthankar Rishabh Dev till 100 A.D was translated and edited in

English. This work, originally compiled by Ac Hasti Malji had been since published as Jain Legend by SamyakJnana Pracharak Mandal Jaipur (Courtesy Sh. P.S. Surana).

Jainism, Key to reality, translated and edited version of Tattvarthasutra in simple questions and answer form wentthrough the second print (Courtesy Dr. M.K. Pandya JI).

A book ‘Jains in India and abroad’, a sociological study by Prof. Prakash C Jain of JNU was published by ISJS. ISJS is now organizing the Delhi Summit of Jain Leadership Summit (Mumbai, Delhi, Paris, Washington DC of

JAINA) from January 14 to 15th 2012.

ISJS is getting recognized in the academic community world over for Jain Studies. The niche of ISJS continues to be itsexperiential approach in understanding and enhancing Jain academic studies. We are continually striving for academicexcellence. ISJS looks for your continued patronage and enthusiastic support for its activities to make Jain principles ofAhinsa, Aparigraha and Anekanta make a positive contribution to humanity at large.

Jai Jinendra!

Contact us:D-28, Panchsheel Enclave, New Delhi 110-017

Email: svana@vsnl.comWebsite: www: jainstudies.org

Non violence is the supreme spiritual virtue