The Jain population in the United States is estimated at around 100,000 individuals - though small, our community members are very active in civic, social and educational pursuits. In order to increase awareness around Jainism in the United States, and to provide Jain youth opportunities to explore Jainism in a critical, scholarly way, leaders in the Jain community have collaborated with institutes of higher education around the country to establish various Jain education programs. It is the goal of these programs to encourage research and study into Jain philosophy, art, culture and history, even as they examine its role and place in our lives in the 21st century.

North America

Chairs in Jainism

  • University of California - Irvine | Bhagwan Parshwanath Presidential Chair
  • University of California - Riverside | Shrimad Rajchandra Chair
  • University of California - Davis | Mohini Jain Presidential Chair

Professorships in Jain Studies

  • Florida International University (Miami, FL) | Bhagwan Mahavir Professor - Dr. Steven Vose
  • University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
  • Emory University (Atlanta, GA) - Davis | Dr. Ellen Gough
  • Ottawa University (Ottawa, CAN) | Prof. Anne Vallely

Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Jain Studies

  • Rice University (Houston, TX) | Bhagwan Mahavir Post-Doctoral Fellow - Dr. Brianne Donaldson

Centers for Jain Studies

  • Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, PA) | Prof. Jeffery Long
  • North Eastern University (Boston, MA) | Prof. Whitny Kelting
  • University of Texas - Austin | Prof. Donald Davis
  • Claremont School of Theology (Claremont, CA) | Dr. Sushma Parekh
  • San Diego State University (San Diego, CA)
  • Rutgers State University (NJ)
  • Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, CA)
  • University of Massachusetts | Prof. Lawrence Babb
  • University of California - Berkeley | Dr. Kristy Wiley
  • Eastern Connecticut State University (Willimantic, CT) | Prof. Hope Fitz
  • Loma Linda University | Dr. Whitny Braun

Centers for Jain and Sikh Studies

  • Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, CA) | Dr. Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa

Overseas

  • SOAS (London, UK) | Prof. Peter Flugel
  • Bochum University (Germany) | Dr. Patrick Krueger
  • Ghent University (Belgium) | Dr. Claire Maes
  • Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic) | Prof. Josef Bartosek
  • Polonsky Academy (Jerusalem, Israel) | Dr. Ana Bajzelj