A partnership between Rice University and the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) has established the Tirthankar Shantinath Professorship in Jain Studies, a permanently endowed position in the School of Humanities and Arts. The professorship was celebrated Oct. 19 at the Jain Vishwa Bharati Center in Houston, where more than 100 members of the Jain community, Rice faculty, philanthropists and civic leaders gathered to mark the occasion.
“The gift of an endowed professorship, especially in these times of fierce critique of higher education, means fostering an entirely new field of scholarly inquiry not yet represented at the institution,” said Kathleen Canning, dean of the School of Humanities and Arts. “This is the case for the Tirthankar Shantinath Professorship in Jain Studies, which will significantly expand our scholarly scope with respect to religion, philosophy or history, depending on the scholar ultimately appointed to this position.”
Drawing from the histories and principles of Jainism — one of the world’s ancient religions rooted in nonviolence, pluralism and compassion — the professorship will advance scholarship and dialogue around South Asian philosophy, ethics and culture within one of the nation’s leading schools for humanistic inquiry.
“I am truly excited about the opportunities this professorship creates to explore Jainism’s rich traditions of peace, nonviolence, ecology and ethics within a university setting,” said Anudeep Jain ’85, a member of the humanities advisory board, former member of the Association of Rice Alumni and Rice parent. “This speaks volumes to the value of a Rice education … learning to think outside the box to foster innovation and creativity. Thinking outside the box is something I have strived to do my entire adult life.”
Supported by alumni and members of the Jain community nationwide, the establishment of the Tirthankar Shantinath Professorship builds on a decade of partnership between Rice and the Jain community, including prior initiatives supported by the Chao Family Foundation and JAINA, such as the Chao Center for Asian Studies’ early work in Jain scholarship.
“The addition of a Jain studies professorship in the School of Humanities and Arts will greatly enrich and deepen our mission to understand the peoples, religions, histories and cultures of Asia and Asian America,” said Anne Chao, adjunct lecturer in the humanities and program manager of the Houston Asian American Archive.
The future scholar appointed to the professorship will contribute to Rice’s interdisciplinary teaching and research mission, engaging with faculty and students across fields such as religion, philosophy, ethics, history and Asian studies.
“It means a lasting impact on our teaching capacity and, above all, on the students whose lives are so often changed by individual teachers and courses during their studies,” Canning said.
The professorship honors Tirthankar Bhagwan Shantinath, the 16th of Jainism’s 24 revered spiritual teachers who illuminate the path of purification and liberation. Through this permanent endowment, Rice joins peer institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin and Trinity University in supporting Jain studies as a field of growing academic and cultural importance.