Houston: A group of visionary Jain donors from India and the United States, and the Academic Liaison Committee (ALC) of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA), partnered with Rice University in Houston, Texas, to establish the Tirthankar Shantinath Endowed Professorship in Jain Studies.
An elegant inauguration ceremony took place on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the Jain Vishwa Bharati (JVB) Center in Houston. The celebration was attended by more than 100 members of the Jain community, university faculty, philanthropists, and civic leaders.
This newly endowed position, the 34th endowed chair or professorship at Rice University, will reside within the School of Humanities, a hub of interdisciplinary study at one of America’s leading research universities. Established in 1912 and situated on a 300-acre campus in the heart of Houston, Rice University maintains close collaborations with the Texas Medical Center, business institutions, and global think tanks.
The new Bhagwan Shantinath Professorship will strengthen Rice’s offerings at the intersection of philosophy, ethics, public policy, medicine, artificial intelligence, industry, and environmental studies.
Hosted over the Diwali weekend, the event began with the Navkar Maha mantra, Jainism’s core prayer, recited by Samanijis Aarjav Pragyaji and Swati Pragyaji of JVB Houston.
Swatantra Jain, Founder and Chairman of the JVB Houston Board of Trustees, welcomed attendees, noting that “the JVB Center has made history by hosting two back-to-back academic inaugurations within three months, first the Tirthankar Bhagwan Sumatinath Distinguished Professorship at UT Austin in July, and now the Tirthankar Bhagwan Shantinath Endowed Professorship at Rice University.”
Jain, also a major donor, recognized thirteen families from the U.S. and India whose collective contributions of $1.5 million, matched equally by an anonymous donor to Rice University (thus totaling $3.00 million), made this permanent endowment possible. The professorship honors Tirthankar Bhagwan Shantinath, the 16th of the 24 revered spiritual teachers (Tirthankaras) in Jainis,m who illuminate the path of purification and liberation.
D. C. Manjunath, Consul General of India in Houston, graced the event as Guest of Honor, commending the donors for promoting Jain principles of Ahimsa (non-violence), Anantanand (respect for multiple perspectives), and Aparigrah (non-possessiveness)—values deeply needed in today’s world.
Dr. Sulekh C. Jain, Past President of JAINA, Founder of ALC, and long-time Houston resident, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Anne Chao, whose $250,000 grant a decade ago laid the foundation for Jain Studies at Rice University. He acknowledged Rice University’s continued recognition of Jainism’s importance and its generous matching commitment.
Dr. Jain highlighted the partnership’s long history, beginning with postdoctoral fellows Dr. Brianne Donaldson (now at UC Irvine) and Dr. Shivani Bothra (now at Cal State U Long Beach), whose work was made possible through the Chao Family Foundation. He also honored Dr. Chao’s late father, who earned his Ph.D. in Buddhism from Banaras Hindu University, emphasizing the shared academic and spiritual heritage between India and Asia.
