The International Summer School for Jain Studies (ISSJS) provides an important link between the Jain community and the academic world by providing students and scholars the opportunity to study Jainism during an intensive summer program in North India. Despite its small numbers, the Jains have, and continues to have, a large impact on Indian religious and cultural life. Since its inception in 2005, ISSJS had been consistently making in roads in introducing Jain academic studies and inquiry in the universities of North America.

The ISSJS is a program run by two separate but collaborating organizations; the International School for Jain Studies (ISJS) India and ISJS North America. ISJS North America is a sub committee of the Mahavir Vision Inc., a non-profit, (tax exempt,) 501 C (3) organization. ISJS North America works in collaboration with the Committee on the Academic Studies of Jainism in North America (ASJNA), the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA), the World Council of Jain Academies, U.K (WCJA), the Jain Academic Foundation of North America (JAFNA).

Since its inception in 2005, three other premier academic institutes of USA, namely Eastern Connecticut State University, University of Hawaii (Manoa campus) and Loyola Marymount University California and University of Ottawa from Canada have been collaborating and participating in ISSJS programs. If you wish to know details about ISSJS and share with your friends, prospective students, donors, faculty members and others, please visit ISSJS presentation.

ISSJS follows the instructional approach in all courses which is based on the historico-critical method. Students are not obliged to become true believers, nor are they urged to adopt behaviors in conformity with rituals, religion and habits of any Jain sect, though they are expected to demonstrate respect in these matters to members of the community in which they live and study. Similar social sensitivity is encouraged for the larger Indian community in which they move. A unique asset of this program is its emphasis on cultural immersion by integrating the theoretical and experiential- spheres of knowledge. As an example, prior to the visitation of a site, or witness of a festival, ISSJS will first explain the historical, cultural, political/economic, and other elements that provide meaning and perspective to what is being viewed (experts in art, architecture, song/dance/drama, may serve as resource persons). The purpose of this component is to present Jainism as a living religion and not a relic of a forgotten past. Following the outing, students will write short essays on the event. In addition opportunities are made for students to talk one-on-one with monks, nuns, and with practicing Jains in secular positions, such as military, police, law, diamond, gold and silver merchants. There is a major focus on the family, highlighting the role and status of women, accompanied by home visitations and arranging meetings with different strata of Jain householders.

From 2008 onwards, based on the growing needs of scholars from North America particularly, the ISSJS is structured around a two-tier system, designed to meet scholarly needs of all applicants. The goal of the first level is the understanding of the fundamentals of Jainism in the areas of Religion, Philosophy, History, and Culture. The Second level builds on the first in terms of scope, depth, and intensity, and aims at a proficiency of knowledge that qualifies the student to study at the M.A. level in a university. It is expected that first level students will, in the development of studies, become sufficiently competent to enter the second tier of studies. Requirements and brief particulars of each program for 2010 are given below:

A.	ISSJS2010-3W:This program for bright undergraduate and graduate scholars in philosophy, religion, south Asian studies and anthropology, who wish to learn about Jainism and take it up as a part of their graduate studies. This program is also designed to cater to the needs of professors, faculty, PhD students in allied subjects like history, art, music, public health, bio-ethics, education, management etc who wish to learn about Jainism and its relevance to their fields of specialization.
B.	ISSJS2010-6W: This program for undergraduates, graduates, PhD scholars and are teaching faculty / PhD students or graduate students involved in religion, South Asian religions or studies, languages, anthropology, theology and allied subjects. Invariably all scholars enrolled for this program gets some sort of financial assistance from ISSJS.
C.	ISSJS2010-O and ISSJS2010-M: ISSJS offers these three weeks programs for special interest groups, like University of Ottawa course number SRS4107 with Prof Anne Vallely of Ottawa University as the program director and at Mahidol University Bangkok. Scholars enrolled for this program can earn three to six credit hours from their respective universities. Other universities are encouraged to apply to have specialized programs tailored to their specific needs. The only requirement is that a university / institution must have 12-14 students attending this program. Such programs will be coordinated by Dr. Shugan Jain Director ISSJS India directly.