The 2022 FIU Mahavir Jayanti lecture will highlight the contemporary research being done in Pakistan to explore the country’s Jain heritage by two leading scholars. Prof. Hameed is the leading archaeologist of Jainism in Pakistan and chair of archaeology at the oldest university in Pakistan — University of the Punjab. Prof. Ahmad at Islamia University is writing the first Jain Studies textbook in modern Pakistani Urdu to be used by undergraduate students interested in learning about the religious philosophy of the tradition. Prof. Gogri is working on the ancient Jain heritage of Pakistan through the University of Mumbai. This work is being generously funded by the American Jain community and hope that it can expand and develop interest in establishing the first academic Jain Studies program in Pakistan. Also, please join us to honor Prof. Kachhara with the ‘Acharya Mahaprajna Lifetime Achievement Award’ by Florida International University and Jain Vishva Bharati Institute for his contributions to the scientific study of Jainism.

Jain Education and Research Foundation

Department of Religious Studies

Western Indian Ocean Studies Initiative

Jain Vishva Bharati Institute