Jainism spreads at colleges amid calls for ‘decolonisation’

Los Angeles Times 08 May 2021

When retired gastroenterologist and Jain devotee Jasvant Modi sought to spread knowledge of the faith, Cerritos College in Norwalk, South California seemed like the perfect fit. He and his wife Meera, along with donors Harshad and Raksha Shah, last month pledged US$1 million to fund an endowed scholar of Jain studies at the community college in the United States, writes Nina Agrawal for Los Angeles Times.

They are among a small but dedicated group of American Jain donors who are seeking to expand US awareness of the ancient belief system of Jainism and its teachings beyond an estimated 5 million to 10 million mainly Indian followers. And they think academia is the best place to do so, especially at a time of increasing calls to move away from Eurocentric perspectives in education.

In the last decade, donors have funded endowed positions in Jain studies at a dozen universities, including the University of California Davis, Irvine, Riverside and Santa Barbara; the Cal State campuses of Northridge and Long Beach; and Loyola Marymount University. They have also sponsored lectureships and postdoctoral fellowships at other universities. They estimate they have reached hundreds of students directly but that the ripple effects will extend to thousands.
Full report on the Los Angeles Times site

Receive email updates from UWN

Global newsletters    Africa newsletters    Other
    (other includes related events and webinars)

Data will be processed according to our standard terms & conditions.

Research focuses on production of jet fuel from halophytes

UAE University staff

With an eye to developing a clean, alternative aviation fuel to reduce carbon emissions, researchers at the United Arab Emirates University have been focusing on the production of jet fuel from sustainable resources such as halophytes, which are salt-tolerant plants that could be cultivated on a wider scale in the region’s coastal areas.

The value of being human: How teachers can work alongside AI

Michael Milligan

Artificial intelligence is now a part of our evolution in technology and teachers need to be encouraged to find ways to bring AI into the classroom and have students use it in a way that is beneficial to them in the long term.

Ground-breaking research on seawater biodesalination

UAE University staff

As water scarcity reaches critical levels globally, a research team at the United Arab Emirates University seeks to revolutionise seawater desalination practices, offering a path to mitigate water scarcity while championing environmental preservation.