Who We Are – Dharma Alliance

advisory board

Dharma Alliance is guided by an Advisory Board which is comprised of individuals representing different Dharma traditions and countries. We see the role of the Advisory Board in the Dharma tradition of Gurus who continually guide seekers in their spiritual and physical journeys. Dharma Alliance is privileged and honored to have a distinguished Advisory Board to guide it in its endeavors.

Prof. Jakob De Roover, Belgium

Prof. Jakob De Roover teaches comparative study of cultures and religions at Ghent University, Belgium. He completed his PhD in the research programme Comparative Science of Cultures under the guidance of Prof. Dr. S. N. Balagangadhara in 2005; this programme studies Western culture against the background of Asian cultures and seeks to gain insights into cultural differences between Asia and the West. Since then he has been doing research in the comparative study of culture, religion, and politics in Europe and India and on European representations of Indian culture and its traditions.

Ven. Bhikkhuni Dhammananda, Thailand

Ven. Bhikkhuni Dhammananda (Dr. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh) was ordained as the first Theravada bhikkhuni in Thailand in 2003 and has been engaged in giving education on ordination for women and training for monastic life since 1984. She is also Professor Emeritus at Thammasat University, Bangkok, where she taught Buddhism and Eastern Philosophy for 27 years (1973-2000). Ven. Bhikkhuni Dhammananda has translated 27 books on Tibetan Buddhism, including His Holiness The Dalai Lama’s autobiography, Freedom in Exile, and is the author and translator of more than a 100 books.

Prof. Kusum Jain, India

Prof. Kusum Jain has been associated with the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, and has held several positions since she started teaching there in 1975. She has been the Head of the Department of Philosophy; Dean, Faculty of Arts; and the Director, Post Graduate School of Humanities. In addition, she has also been the Director, Center of Advanced Studies, University Grants Commission; and a member of the Governing Council of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), New Delhi. Her major research interests are Indian Philosophy, Socio-Political, Legal, Moral Philosophy and Applied Ethics.

Prof. Jaya Krishnakumar, Switzerland

Jaya Krishnakumar is Full Professor of Econometrics at the Faculty of Economics and Management (GSEM) of the University of Geneva, Switzerland. She is also a Visiting Professor at Madras School of Economics, Chennai, India since 2006. She holds a Ph. D. in “Econometrics and Statistics” from the University of Geneva. She has been an Invited Professor at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, as well as a Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar, Bolivia, University of Tunis, and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Southern California.

Prof. Amarjiva Lochan, India

Prof. Amarjiva Lochan teaches at the University of Delhi and is Joint Dean, International Relations. He is the Foreign Students Advisor of the University. He is also a member of the Governing Council, India Centre for Migration (ICM), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Recently, he was appointed as the Advisor for Buddhist Projects, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Government of India. Prof. Lochan also serves the Ministry of Culture and Education, Government of India, in various capacities. He looks into the issues of the Indian diaspora with special reference to the region of Southeast Asia, Indic elements in Southeast Asia, and contemporary Buddhism. Prof.

Dr. Nitin Shah, USA

Dr. Nitin Shah is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Loma Linda University Health, California. He is also an Interim Deputy Chief of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center, Long Beach, CA. He is Founding President and a Board Member of Anekant Community Center. He is a Past President of Jain Center of Southern California, and Chair of the Academic Liaison Committee (ALC) of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA). ALC has helped establish Jain education in over 30 universities in the last 12 years. Passionate about organizing humanitarian missions including medical, surgical, vision and dental care around the world, he has organized over 400 such missions in 16 countries.

Tan Sri Dato’ Ajit Singh, Malaysia

Tan Sri Dato’ Ajit Singh was born and educated in Malaysia and joined the Malaysian Foreign Service in 1963. In a career spanning over 30 years, he served in various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at Malaysian Missions abroad in Canberra, Addis Ababa, and New York. He was Malaysia’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Austria, Brazil, (with concurrent accreditation to Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela) and Germany. He was elected as the first Secretary-General of ASEAN in 1993. In recognition of his services, both Laos and Vietnam awarded him their prestigious Friendship Medals in December 1997.

Prof. Jagbir Singh, India

Prof. Jagbir Singh is the Chancellor of the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda. He is also Advisor, Centre on Studies in Guru Granth Sahib, Amritsar; Member of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla (nominated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India); and a Life Fellow of the Punjabi University, Patiala. Formerly, he was the Head of the Department of Punjabi, University of Delhi, and also Adjunct Professor, Department of Religious and Civilizational Studies, Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) World University, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab.

His Excellency Prof. Dr. SON Soubert, Cambodia

His Excellency Prof. Dr. SON Soubert is High Privy Councillor to His Majesty the King of Cambodia since 2010. As an educator, politician, and humanitarian, he has a long record of involvement in the political life of the Kingdom of Cambodia, his home country. Having been second Vice-President of the National Assembly, he was also appointed to the Constitutional Council by His Majesty the King of Cambodia and served as Vice-President of the Cambodian Red Cross. Among other positions, he was Secretary General of the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front (KPNLAF), a founder of the Khmer Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party (BLDP), and President of the Son Sann Party and a member of Parliament during the takeover of the administration ...

Most Ven. Prof. Dr. Thich Nhat Tu, Vietnam

Most Ven. Prof. Dr. Thich Nhat Tu is the Vice Chairman, National Department of International Buddhist Affairs, National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. He is also the Founding Vice Chairman of International Alliance for Buddhist Cultural Exchange, Hongkong, and a Founding Member of International Buddhist Confederation, India. Amongst his many accomplishments, he has formerly been Vice Secretary General of Vietnam Buddhist University Council, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC); the Vice Secretary General of Vietnam Buddhist Research Institute; Executive Member of the HCMC Buddhist Sangha; the Secretary General of the Buddhist Culture Department of HCMC Buddhist Sangha; Deputy Rector of Vietnam Buddhist University, HCMC; Chairman of the Department of Buddhist Philosophy, Vietnam Buddhist University; ...

Team

Dharma Alliance was founded as a non-profit association in Geneva in 2021 by Juan Diaz and Dr. Prashant Sharma. Amit Wadhwa joined the team in 2023. Juan is an American / Spanish national and has been living in Geneva since 2008. Juan has a professional background in education and social work. Juan is fluent in Spanish, English and French. Prashant is an Indian national living in Geneva since 2009 and has a professional background in public-private partnerships and infrastructure policy. Amit has lived in Geneva since 2008 and is a finance specialist with a particular interest in impact investing.