Dear Reader,
Jai Jinendra!🙏
Jain philosophy encourages a shift from simply living by habit to living with awareness and intention. Through self-observation, restraint, and reflection, we become more conscious of our thoughts, emotions, actions, and their impact on ourselves and others. This awareness helps us recognise our shortcomings, manage impulses, and make choices aligned with our values. Conscious living, therefore, begins with understanding oneself and taking responsibility for personal transformation. Sharing ideas and listening to different perspectives further enrich this process, helping us question assumptions and discover practical ways to bring philosophical insights into everyday life.
Through its academic programmes, the International School for Jain Studies (ISJS) creates opportunities for such exchanges, bringing participants together to explore Jain thought and consider its relevance to the choices, relationships, and challenges of contemporary living.
ISJS is organising a three-day international residential forum: From Inner Development to Conscious Living: A Global Dialogue for Sustainable Collective Well-being from May 1-3, 2027, at Navalveerayatan, Pune. The forum draws on over twenty years of ISJS’s work in promoting values such as self-effort, self-restraint, nonviolence, pluralism, and sharing, along with inspiration from the UN’s Inner Development Goals initiative and the Initiatives of Change movement. Through dialogue, reflection, research, experiential learning, and shared perspectives, participants will explore how inner awareness can inform conscious choices and responsible action, fostering a journey from “I” to “We” to “World.” ISJS invites an expression of interest from institutions as co-organisers, and researchers, educators, and practitioners as presenters to participate in the Forum.
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ISJS invites learners worldwide to its Online Winter Programme 2026-27, taking place from December 28, 2026, to January 6, 2027. This 10-day programme will explore key themes in Jain philosophy, ethics, and everyday practice through interactive sessions led by scholars and experienced practitioners. Conducted entirely online in English, the programme offers an opportunity to engage with Jain teachings and reflect on their relevance to contemporary life. Students, researchers, educators, professionals, and anyone interested in Jainism are welcome to participate in this international learning experience.
Application deadline: November 10, 2026
ISJS offers a one-week online certificate course on Value Education, Peace and Harmony from November 21 to 27, 2026. Designed for teachers, educators, youth, and social workers, the programme will explore self-awareness, emotional balance, empathy, responsible decision-making, and constructive conflict resolution. Through lectures, case studies, discussions, and practical activities, participants will examine how values can guide everyday choices, interpersonal relationships, and social responsibility. As a pilot initiative, the course will be offered free of charge, providing an accessible opportunity to engage with value-based education and its relevance to peaceful and harmonious living.
Application deadline: October 31, 2026
ISJS offers specialized in-person training programs on Value Education, Peace and Harmony, empowering educators to nurture compassionate, inclusive, and respectful learning environments. Rooted in non-violence and universal human values, these programmes encourage teachers to integrate ethical awareness and peaceful practices into everyday education. Available in flexible 3 to 7-day formats, the programs feature interactive workshops, teacher-training modules, seminars, and customized sessions tailored to the needs of schools, colleges, and other educational institutions. Through experiential learning and practical engagement, participants explore ways to strengthen empathy, mutual respect, responsible conduct, and harmony among learners.
To explore collaboration opportunities or arrange a program for your institution, write to info@isjs.in
ISJS will host its 30th online lecture, Ethico-Legal Dimensions of Religious Death Practices in Jainism, by Dr. Rishabh Gandhi on October 30, 2026. An advocate, arbitrator and former trial court judge, Dr. Gandhi has submitted his doctoral thesis on the subject. His lecture will explore the scriptural, philosophical, historical and contemporary dimensions of these practices across Digambara and Shwetambara traditions, drawing on empirical research involving over 4,000 questionnaire respondents.
The lecture is open to all. The joining link and further details will be shared across multiple platforms closer to the event date.
The Speak Up section in this edition features an article titled “The Paradox of Plenty” by Ms. Pragya Jain, Research Associate, ISJS.
The article explores how desires themselves can become a form of possession, reflecting on how we have become a civilisation that has everything except the ability to feel that we have enough.
Rice University’s School of Humanities and Arts in Houston, Texas, has announced the Tirthankar Shantinath Professorship in Jain Studies, inviting applications for an Assistant Professor, with potential appointment at the Associate Professor level with tenure. The position aims to advance interdisciplinary research and teaching in Jain philosophy, South Asian culture, religion, history, and applied Jainism. Applicants with expertise in bioethics, medical humanities, end-of-life care, artificial intelligence, and animal welfare are also encouraged.
Applications are invited until November 15, 2026.
The Department of Asian Studies at The University of Texas at Austin has announced a tenure-track Assistant Professor or tenured Associate Professor position in Jain Studies, beginning Fall 2027. The position is open to scholars from any discipline or time period within the humanities or social sciences, with a research and teaching focus on the academic study of Jainism and advanced competency in one or more relevant Indic languages.
Applications are invited until October 30, 2026.
ISJS deeply mourns the sad demise of its former Trustee, Group Captain Vimal K. Jain (Retd.), who passed away on October 15, 2026. ISJS extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and associates.
Born on September 30, 1935, Group Captain Jain was a retired Indian Air Force officer who remained actively engaged in educational, religious, and social initiatives. He served as a Trustee of Jain Education Institutes Support (JEIS), New Delhi, and was associated with several Jain institutions and charitable organisations, including Shri Jin Kushal Suri Jain Kharatargachha Dadawadi Trust and Shri Atma Vallabh Jain Smarak, Delhi. He also played an active role in leading the Gyanoday Charitable Society, New Delhi, contributing to its educational and philanthropic endeavours.
Group Captain Jain will be remembered by ISJS for his valuable guidance, mentorship, and association with the institution. His commitment to education, Jain values, and social service leaves behind a lasting legacy.
We are excited to announce that ISJS has created a WhatsApp Group to keep our global members updated with the latest activities and initiatives.
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ISJS warmly invites its associates, alumni, and well-wishers to share regular feedback on our newsletters and activities. Your insights play a vital role in enhancing ISJS initiatives and expanding our outreach.
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