Like the word “veganism” itself, the field of “Vegan Studies” is simultaneously easy and challenging to define. In this talk, Dickstein will introduce the new Vegan Studies Initiative at Arihanta Institute and discuss the horizon point unifying the three educational components of the initiative. He then pivots to the various definitions of “veganism,” past and present, exploring the cogency and utility of these distinct and sometimes conflicting interpretations. Ultimately, Dickstein presents the case for a minimal, practice-based definition as the foundation for Vegan Studies.