Washington: The California State University has announced establishing an endowed chair in Hinduism and Jainism, which will be an integral part of its religious studies programme.
Over two dozen Indian-American families have contributed to creating a joint Endowed Chair in Jain and Hindu studies at California State University, Fresno.
According to a media release, the groundbreaking partnership between the Jain and Hindu communities and the California State University, Fresno underscores a mutual commitment to educating current and future generations of students about the principles of nonviolence, dharma (virtue, duty), justice, pluralist philosophy, the interconnectedness of all beings and care for the environment through Hindu-Jain texts, philosophies and traditions.
The Endowed Chair in Jain and Hindu Dharma will be housed in the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Humanities and will be an integral part of the University’s religious studies programme.
A professor who is an expert in both the Jain and Hindu Dharma traditions will be appointed as interim chair in 2021.
CSU Fresno president Joseph I. Castro said, the California State University (CSU) has never seen a partnership like this one with the Jain and Hindu communities. I’m very pleased that this has happened at Fresno State. It establishes a model for other campuses in the CSU and around the country to do the same.