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18 NEWS FEATURE
London: First Centre of Jain
Studies Opens
On 16 March 2004, the University | of London's world famous School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) launched a Centre of Jain Studies at the Department of the Study of Religions.
The launch was attended by influential members of the Jain community and academics who came to participate in the 6th International Conference on Jainism at SOAS, which was opened with a public lecture by Professor Nalini Balbir of
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the Sorbonne in Paris on the history of the Shvetambara Jain Canons. The Centre will increase academic and public awareness of Jainism, which is practised by around 4 million Jains in India and amongst the Jain Diaspora in East Africa, Europe and North America. It will also act as a useful resource for the estimated 30,000 Jains in the UK, two-thirds of whom live in the London area. This is the first such academic centre outside India at a world class institution.
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Photo by Emily Hunt
The aim of the Centre, which is the first of its kind outside India, is to promote the study of Jain religion and culture by providing an interdisciplinary platform for academic research, teaching and publications in the field of Jain Studies. The Centre organises courses 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
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