California couple Drs. Jasvant and Meera Modi help establish $1 million vegan studies professorship

🌱📚 Indian American philanthropists Drs. Jasvant and Meera Modi, along with Dr. Namrata Patel, have funded a $1 million endowed professorship at California-based Arihanta Institute to advance vegan studies, animal advocacy, Jain philosophy, and compassion-focused education on a global scale.

The new initiative, called the Tīrthaṅkara Śreyāṃśanātha Endowment for Professorship in Vegan and Animal Advocacy Studies, will support teaching, research, and public scholarship through the institute’s Vegan Studies Initiative. Arihanta Institute says the program aims to connect ancient Jain principles of nonviolence, compassion, and ethical living with modern discussions surrounding climate change, sustainability, biodiversity, food systems, and animal welfare.

The endowment also marks the first officially endowed professorship established since Arihanta Institute was founded in 2022. Leaders at the organization described the milestone as part of a larger effort to bring Jain philosophy and South Asian ethical traditions into mainstream academic and public conversations in the United States and internationally.

Dr. Jasvant Modi, who was born in Gujarat and later built a successful medical and healthcare business career in the United States, said the initiative reflects his lifelong commitment to compassion-centered living and education. Over the years, he and his wife, Dr. Meera Modi, have donated more than $30 million toward education, healthcare, Jain studies, and humanitarian causes across the U.S. and India. Their philanthropy has funded university chairs, fellowships, Jain temples, schools, student housing, and research programs focused on ethics and nonviolence.

Arihanta Institute’s Vegan Studies Initiative already offers online courses, conferences, and public programs exploring the relationship between spirituality, environmental responsibility, and ethical lifestyles. Organizers say the new professorship will strengthen efforts to educate future generations about compassion toward animals, sustainability, and mindful living while expanding interdisciplinary research around Jain values and vegan advocacy. 🌍🕊️