Pune: FLAME University, a liberal education pioneer in India, along with the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, will jointly host a two-day virtual interdisciplinary conference on ‘New Directions in Indic Studies’ on May 12 & 13, 2021. Set to be LIVE on FLAME University’s Facebook channel, the conference will delve deep into topics such as Sanskrit Buddhism, Victorian Indologists, Indian Music, Natya Shastra, History of Indian Philosophy, Jain Studies in the Global Academy, Jain Contribution to Global Civilization, etc.
The conference will host notable speakers such as Professor Robert Thurman, Columbia University; Professor Deven Patel, University of Pennsylvania; Professor Frederick M. Smith, University of Iowa; Professor KTS Sarao, Delhi University; Professor Vinod Vidwans, FLAME University; Professor Bharat Gupt, IGNCA; Professor Balaganapathi Devarakonda, Delhi University; Professor Lavanya Vemsani, Shawnee State University; Professor Chris Chapple, Loyola Marymount University and Professor Jeffery D. Long, Elizabethtown College.
Speaking about the upcoming conference, Dr. Dishan Kamdar, Vice-Chancellor, FLAME University, said, “This conference will showcase great learnings from a broad spectrum of renowned global educationists on ideas and beliefs of various religions and cultures. We look forward to having every attendee take away valuable insights that they may practice in their daily lives.”
Professor Pankaj Jain, heading Indic Studies at FLAME University, and convening this conference, said, “We are privileged to launch the series of Indic Studies conferences that provides a launchpad to establish the FLAME Centre for Indic Studies at FLAME University in the near future, the first such center at the pioneering liberal education institution in India. This centre aims to offer innovative Indic courses for students and develop research projects that tackle challenging global issues from Indic perspectives.”
The conference sessions will be chaired by Professor Ankur Barua, Cambridge University; Professor Madhu Khanna, Jamia Millia Islamia; Professor Adarasupally Nataraju, Assam Central University; Professor Viraj Shah, FLAME University and Professor Srinivasan Krishnamurthy, Vivekananda College.
Spokesperson from the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, said, “The Indian Institute of Advanced Study, in collaboration with FLAME University, is happy to announce the conference in the series, ‘New Directions in Indic Studies,’ 12-13 May 2021. Ably convened by Professor Pankaj Jain of FLAME University, this conference titled ‘Beyond the Imperialism of Categories’ is of great importance, with eminent Indologists from India and abroad presenting papers in virtual mode. The conference promises to produce new knowledge and methodological possibilities in a field of inquiry that has been mired in controversy because of its colonial legacy, biases, and limitations.”