University of Toronto Mississauga receives $2.5 million for Jain studies | University of Toronto Mississauga received $2.5 million for Jain studies

The University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) has received a $2.5 million endowment to establish a new chair dedicated to Jain Studies.

The first such endowed chair for the humanities
According to a university media release, this will be the first endowed chair in the humanities at UTM. UTM further said that with this, the total amount sanctioned to the university by Gyan and Kanchan Jain and their families will be $5 million.

University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) campus.

“This contribution marks an important step in UTM’s commitment to expand its Center for South Asian Critical Humanities (CSACH) and transform the study of the global past and present,” the release said.

The university said the establishment of the endowed chair represents an important investment in the study of Jainism’s history, culture, philosophy and its far-reaching influence on South Asia.

An Indian religion with over 5 million followers worldwide
In addition to the endowed chair, the funding will support work in community collaboration and knowledge translation and enable students, scholars and partners to study Jainism—an Indian religion with more than five million followers worldwide.