On the 16th of March 2004, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) has launched a Centre of Jaina Studies at the Department of the Study of Religions. The launch was attended by influential members of the Jaina community and academics who came to participate in the 6th International Conference on the Jainism at SOAS which was opened with a public lecture on the history of the ancient Jaina Canon by Professor Nalini Balbir of the Sorbonne in Paris.
Jainism is one of the oldest religions of the world, and widely known for its doctrine of non-violence. The last prophet of the Jaina religion, Mahavira, lived in the 6th century BCE in North India. He institutionalised a religious tradition which is still practised by ca. 4 million Jains in India and amongst the Indian diaspora in East Africa, Europe and North America. There are about 30,000 Jains in Britain, of whom 20,000 live in London. Most of them belong to the traditional Indian business communities and are highly successful entrepreneurs and professionals.
The aim of the Centre, which is the first of its kind outside India, is to promote the study of Jaina religion and culture by providing an interdisciplinary platform for academic research, teaching and publications in the field of Jaina Studies. The Centre organises course on Jainism, academic conferences, workshops, seminars, symposia and exhibitions. It has also established its own publication series. The Centre was launched by the Chair of the Department of the Study of Religions, Dr Ulrich Pagel, Prof J.C. Wright of the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, who is the Honorary President of the Centre, and by it's Chair Dr. Peter Flügel of the Department of the Study of Religions.
Contact
Centre of Jaina Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
University of London
Thornhaugh Street
Russell Square
London
WC1H 0XG
www.soas.ac.uk/jainastudies