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International Conference on Vedanta, May 19-21, 2026
Venue: State University of New York Stony Brook.
The conference will examine the non-dual philosophy of Advaita Vedanta; review recent scholarship that resolves long-standing interpretive challenges; explore comparative perspectives from Buddhism, Western philosophy, and modern science; and discuss the relevance of Vedantic inquiry in contemporary life.
Presenters, discussants, panelists include scholars from India, US, UK, Italy, and other institutions (see below for a partial list). There will also be sessions with contributions from young scholars, and practitioners.
Program and Registration details coming soon. If you are interested in participating in the conference, please email info@vedantaforum.org
Partial list of Vedanta Scholars and Researchers — Affiliations & Expertise
Dr. Ivan Andrijanić
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences — Chair of Indology
Field / Focus: Indology; Sanskrit; Indian philosophy (esp. Vedānta)
Degree: Ph.D., University of Zagreb (2010)
Dr. Ankur Barua
University of Cambridge, Faculty of Divinity — Senior Lecturer in Hindu Studies
Field / Focus: Vedāntic Hindu philosophical theology; comparative religion; Indo-Islamic social thought
Degree: Ph.D., University of Cambridge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm8ImeJIajg
Dr. Manjushree Hegde
IIT Madras (Ph.D. Research Scholar — completed); now Assistant Professor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita Darshanam)
Field / Focus: Advaita Vedānta (Śaṅkara & Swami Satchidanandendra Saraswati); Sanskrit; Mīmāṃsā; Hermeneutics
Degree: Ph.D., IIT Madras (2025 — recently completed); M.A. Sanskrit; B.E. Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Jacqueline Suthren Hirst (Online only)
University of Manchester — Senior Lecturer in South Asian Studies
Field / Focus: South Asian religions; comparative religion; Vedānta; pedagogy
Degree: Ph.D., University of Cambridge
Dr. Gianni Pellegrini
Università degli Studi di Torino — Associate Professor, Dept. of Humanities
Field / Focus: Indian philosophies & religions; Sanskrit; Advaita & later Vedānta
Degree: Ph.D. (Dottorato di Ricerca), Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia (2011)
Prof. Anantanand Rambachan
Saint Olaf College — Professor Emeritus of Religion
Field / Focus: Advaita Vedānta; Hindu theology & ethics; interreligious dialogue
Degree: Ph.D., University of Leeds (Theology & Religious Studies)
Sri. Ira Schepetin (Musta Ram / Ātma Chaitanya)
Independent scholar; first Western disciple of Swami Dayananda Saraswati and Swami Satchidanandendra Saraswati
Field / Focus: Advaita Vedānta (Śaṅkara and SSSS lineage); author of several academic papers; YouTube teacher under “Ātma Chaitanya”
Degree: Independent teacher-scholar (non-institutional academic background) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usu_cLGXLg4
Prof. Sthaneshwar Timalsina
Stony Brook University (SUNY) — Endowed Professor of Indian Philosophy and Consciousness Studies; Director, Center for Asian and Comparative Philosophy
Field / Focus: Indian philosophy; phenomenology of consciousness; Advaita Vedānta and Kashmir Śaivism; epistemology and hermeneutics
Degree: Ph.D., University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Philosophy, 2002)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6euL8FAp7rA
Dr. Aleksandar Uskokov (Panelist only)
Yale University — Lector in Sanskrit; Graduate Faculty, Religious Studies
Field / Focus: Indian philosophy (Vedānta, Mīmāṃsā, Vaiṣṇavism); history of ideas
Degree: Ph.D., University of Chicago (South Asian Languages & Civilizations)
Host: Prof. Sthaneshwar Timalsina
Program Chair: Dr. Manjushree Hegde.
Partial list of Scholars — Comparative Philosophy, Well-being, Impact
Prof. Satinder Dhiman
Woodbury University (USA) — Associate Dean & Professor, School of Business
Field / Focus: Spiritual leadership; ethics & workplace spirituality; integration of Vedāntic insights in management
Degree: Ph.D., Tilburg University (Netherlands); Ed.D., Pepperdine University
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3O07mTIeHM
Dr. Greg Goode
New York (USA) -- Author, Teacher, Independent Scholar.
Field / Focus: Non-duality, Direct Path, Vedanta, Buddhism, Western Philosophy.
Degree: Ph.D., University of Rochester
Dr. Lee Hartwell
Arizona State University (USA) -- Nobel Laureate in Physiology/Medicine (2001). Professor ASU Sustainability Science. Faculty Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Field / Focus: Education and Mindfulness, Buddhism. Molecular Biology. Innovation.
Degree: Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Emerging Scholars - Vedanta
Davide Persechini
Università degli Studi di Torino — Doctoral Researcher (Dottorando), Dept. of Humanities
Field / Focus: Indology; Advaita Vedānta (doctoral research)
Degree: Laurea Magistrale, Università di Bologna; current Ph.D. candidate (UniTo)
Program at a glance - Preliminary:
May 19:-20
Invited presentations on Vedanta highlighting the transformative works of Śrī Svāmi Saccidānandendra Sarasvatī (SSS) from leading academic scholars world-wide.
Contributions from young, emerging scholars and practitioners, and select presentations of papers reviewed and accepted from Open Call for Papers.
May 20-21:
Comparative philosophy: Vedanta, Buddhism, Western thinkers, Science.
Benefits of Vedantic thinking in modern life: workplace, education. Technology: AI collaboration for study and research of ancient scriptures .
About SSS:
Svāmi Saccidānandendra Sarasvatī (1880-1975) is one of the most prolific yet underrecognized scholars of Advaita Vedānta in modern times. His transformative works and teachings follow the lineage of Śrī Gaudapāda, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, and Śrī Sureśvarācāya. His scholarly output represents an extraordinary intellectual achievement. His corpus includes approximately 9,000 pages of critically edited and annotated translations of Śaṅkarācārya's commentaries into Kannada, Sanskrit commentaries engaging with over 20 post-Śaṅkara commentators, independent monographs, Upanishadic studies, and translations spanning from the Dhammapada to portions of Kālidāsa's Raghuvamśa. His writings are characterized by precision, lucidity, and profound erudition. Some of his transformative contributions include demonstrating the importance of the adhyāropa–apavāda method—deliberate superimposition followed by retraction—to remove mistaken notions about ātman and brahman without generating new doctrinal structures or theoretical arrests. His work re-articulates the universal, non-dual teachings of Śaṅkarācārya, emphasizing the role of direct intuition (anubhava), the careful discernment of meanings of words and sentences, and the cultivation of contemplative assimilation through steady inquiry and reflection.
Program and Registration details coming soon. If you are interested in participating in the conference, please email info@vedantaforum.org
Your donations will cover the cost of conference.
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