Samani Charitra Prajna, Vice Chancellor of JVBU Ladnun, and Samani Aagam Prajna visited Berlin Center for Jaina Studies (CfJS) after their participation at a conference on interreligious dialogue, which occurred on May 7th, 2014 at St. Ottilien near Munich.
At the University of Applied Sciences, a seminar on Jainism was held this semester by Patrick Krueger. In one of the lectures given to the Jain class, Samani Charitra Prajna gave an insight into a Jaina nuns life and answered joyful all the questions, which were asked by the students.
Afterwards both the Samanis went to Freie Universität Berlin, where CfJS is located, to meet Prof. Monika Zin, who holds chairs of South Asian Art History in Munich and Berlin and Patrick Krueger, who heads CfJS. Here Samani Charitra Prajna gave a lecture on Jaina Philosophy in the modern world to the students of Indian Art History, which ended in an inspiring dialogue on aspects of Jain art and culture. The discussion was fruitful especially for those students of Jainology, who had earlier gone on a six-week educational journey through Karnataka, which was organized by Prof. Hampa Nagarajaiah and funded by H.H. Swasti Sri Charukirti Bhattarak Swamiji of Shravanabelgola.
Following the lecture, both Samanis visited the CfJS office and library, which consists of books donated by Prof. Hampa Nagarajaiah and the French author and Jainologist Pierre Paul Amiel.
Since the chair in South Asian Art History is planned to be shut down in September 2014, Prof. Monika Zin, Patrick Krueger and the two Samanis discussed the future of Indian Studies and South Asian Art History in Berlin, together with the students of the CfJS Berlin. CfJS Berlin is currently located at the Department for Art History at Free University Berlin. In case of a shutdown, the center would have to move to another university and, thus support and funding is needed. In addition to this future problems, chances of a cooperation of JVBU and CfJS were discussed which could help to save CfJS.
Report by: Theresa Suski (Student of South Asian Art at Free University Berlin and assistant of CfJS Berlin) and Patrick Krueger (Head of CfJS Berlin)