Jaina Studies

Heleen De Jonckheere

heleen de jonckheere

Contact Details

heleen.dejonckheere@ugent.be

Research Interests

Sanskrit Literature

Prakrit/Apabhraṃśa/Hindi Literature

History of Jainism

Jain narrative literature 

Translation and adaptation

Religious plurality in historical India

Academic Career

  • Guest Professor (20%) at the department Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, 1/2/2022-31/8/2024.
  • Bhagavan Sheetalnath Postdoctoral Fellow at the department for Historical Studies, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 22/11/2021-21/11/2024.
  • Postdoctoral Fellow (BAEF fellowship) at SALC department, University of Chicago, 6/1/2021-21/11/2021.
  • PhD candidate (BOF, Special Research Fund), 1/10/2016 -1/10/2020 Project Title: "Examination of the Religious Other: Jainism advocating itself in the Dharmaparīkṣās."
  • Master in Indian languages and Cultures (Hindi-Sanskrit) from Ghent University, 3/07/2015 Dissertation: "The Darśanasāra by Devasena: On the Perception of the Other.
  • Bachelor in Indian languages and Cultures (Hindi-Sanskrit) from Ghent University, 4/07/2014. 

Research Projects

PhD: Examination of the Religious Other: Jainism advocating itself in the Dharmaparīkṣās

Supervisor: Eva De Clercq

 

Publications

see https://biblio.ugent.be/person/373BB6FA-F0EE-11E1-A9DE-61C894A0A6B4 

Conferences and Workhops

  • Belgian Indology Day (in honour of Prof. Dr. Ludo Rocher), “Two Buddhists, Two Jackals, and a Flying Stupa: A Story from the Dharmaparīkṣā”, Universiteit Gent, 10th March 2017

  • 19th Jaina Studies Workshop, Jainism and Buddhism, "Examination of the Buddhists in Amitagati's Dharmaparīkṣā: A Reflective Look on Jaina Criticism", SOAS University of London, 18th March 2017

  • Apabhraṃśa Summer Retreat, Barcelona, 15th-19th July 2017
  • EASR Annual Conference, Communicating Jainism Panel, panel chair and presenter, "The Story of the Stories within the Story: Narrating Jain-Selves”, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven,  18th-21st September 2017
  • 9th IIGRS Conference, co-organizer, Ghent University, 22nd-23rd September 2017
  • International Prakrit Conference, "The Darśanasāra by Devasena", Śravanabelagola, 3rd-6th November 2017
  • 17th World Sanskrit Conference, Jaina Studies Section, "Hari is not even satisfied by 16000 gopīs!: The Dharmaparīkṣā by Amitagati as Jain expression of a Puranic mode", UBC Vancouver, 9th-13th July 2018
  • International Conference: Literary Circulations in South Asia: Producing, Translating, Preserving Texts, "'Examining Religion' through generations of Jain audiences: the circulation of the Dharmaparīkṣā tradition", Institut Français de Pondichéry, 21st-22nd August 2018
  • EASR Annual Conference, Humour, Narrative, Religion panel, "Laugh and Learn: Humour at the centre of a Jain didactic narrative", 25th-29th June 2019

  • Graduate Student Conference on South-Asian Religions, “Laugh and Learn: Humour at the Centre of a Jain Didactic Narrative”, Toronto University, 3rd-4th October 2019. 

  • Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, “Where Mirrors are Mirrored: Different Versions of a Jain Satirical Narrative.” in New Directions in the Study of South Asia Panel, 23rd-26th November 2019. 

  • AAS Annual Conference, presenter, “A Song for Jains or a Song for India: Contesting Narratives during the COVID-19 Crisis.”, online, 21st-26th March 2021.

  • Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions, presenter, “Vernacularising Jainism. The Dharmaparīkṣā by Manohardās.”, online, 23rd-25th April 2021.

  • ECSAS 2021: 26th European Conference on South Asian Studies, presenter, “Adapting an Adaptation Over Time and Space: A Case Study from the Jain Tradition.”, Vienna University,

    26th-29th July 2021.

  • EASR Annual Conference, panel: Yes We Jain!, panel co-organizer and presenter, “Internal controversy and literary heritage: a discussion of two Śvetāmbara Dharmaparīkṣā adaptations”, Università di Pisa, 30th August-3rd September 2021.

  • 'Othering Another "Brahmin": A Jain Polemic in Translation', Pathbreakers: New Postdoctoral Research on South Asia at U of T, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Asian Institute and Centre for South Asian Studies, University of Toronto, 11th March 2022