Minneapolis/Bhubaneswar, July 4th: The Founder of KIIT, KISS and KIMS, Dr Achyuta Samanta, on Saturday inaugurated the 57th Convention of the Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA) at Minneapolis as the Chief Guest, saying that participating at the event was the fulfilment of his long-cherished dream. He praised the organisation’s role in preserving Odia identity while contributing to the development of Odisha.
Addressing more than 1,000 Odia families gathered at the convention, Dr Samanta thanked the organisers for inviting him and described the event as a unique celebration of Odisha’s language, culture and heritage.
Praising the spirit of the convention, he said the gathering had created a unique atmosphere of warmth and togetherness. “The entire convention reflects Odisha. The decorations, songs, dance competitions and even the conversations are in Odia. It is heartening to see the community keeping its roots alive despite living thousands of miles away from home,” he said.
Dr Samanta commended members of OSA for earning recognition in the United States through their hard work and dedication while never forgetting their homeland.
“You have built successful careers and earned respect through your perseverance. At the same time, whenever Odisha has faced floods, cyclones, the COVID-19 pandemic or any other crisis, you have always come forward to help the people of the state,” he said. “Odisha is no more the Odisha it used to be. It has become one of the most happening states in India, and Bhubaneswar has emerged as one of the country’s most vibrant cities,” he said.
“We have developed strong ties with the United States and its academic institutions. Around 100 resource persons from American universities regularly visit KIIT and KISS to deliver lectures and interact with students,” he said.
On the occasion, KIIT, KISS and KIMS signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Odisha Society of the Americas to strengthen long-term collaboration in education, healthcare, sports, artificial intelligence, innovation, research, culture and community engagement. The partnership aims to create meaningful opportunities connecting Odisha with the global Odia community through scholarships, student exchange programmes, internships, collaborative research, faculty exchange and global learning initiatives.
As part of the collaboration, the two organisations will also introduce a Summer Odisha Immersion programme to enable students from North America to experience Odisha’s language, history, culture, entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystem, rural development initiatives and campus life. The initiative will also facilitate meaningful interaction between KIIT-KISS students and the global Odia diaspora.
The MoU further provides for collaboration in healthcare institutions, startup incubators, innovation laboratories and professional exchange programmes, while encouraging partnerships between KIIT-KISS faculty and OSA’s network of educators, physicians, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs and technology leaders.
Among those present at the signing ceremony and the 57th OSA Convention were Dr Sita Kanta Dash, Founder of Kalinga Hospital; Shree Somnath Ghosh, IFS, Consul General of India in Chicago; Dr Omkar Nath Mohanty; OSA President Nageswar Rajanala; Vice-President Utkal Nayak; Secretary Snigdha Hota; Treasurer Sanjeeb Rout, along with several other distinguished members of the Odia diaspora, academicians, professionals and community leaders from across the United States and Canada.
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