KISSStudents Showcase Odisha’s Tribal Culture in Romania with Santali Dance andShakespeare Performances

Bhubaneswar:Ten students from the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) are on avisit to Romania to participate in an internationalcultural festival, performing William Shakespeare’s plays in the triballanguages of Odisha. The excited students are engaged in extensivepreparations.

This is the first time KISS students have performed the Santali dance ina foreign country. Previously, they had visited foreign countries mainly forsports events; however, they are now visiting a European country like Romaniato showcase tribal dances and promote cultural exchange. More than 150 studentsfrom 30 countries are participating in the event. The performance by the KISSstudents was highly appreciated by everyone present.

Underthe fully funded Erasmus+ KA171 Student Mobility Programme, KISS students willbe part of a two-month academic and cultural internship from 1st April to 31stMay 2026. Ten students from KIIT Deemed to University also participating theevent. For the first time, students from KIIT and KISS will travel together asone group, learning and experiencing this journey side by side. They havealready begun rehearsals and will be staying in Romania for nearly two months.This is the first time in India that students from any educational institutionwill be performing Shakespeare’s plays in tribal languages on an internationalplatform.

The students visited and performed at the University of Craiova. IndianAmbassador to Romania, Dr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra welcomed them to theuniversity. Dr. Mohapatra is personally overseeing and taking care of thestudents during their visit.

Studentsfrom KIIT and KISS together will perform the Shakespeare plays Romeo andJuliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet in the Santali language. The Santali language hasrecently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Ol Chiki script. The studentswill receive a certificate for courses on Romanian culture and language.

Thisinitiative marks a landmark moment in international cultural collaboration andis expected to significantly enhance the global visibility of indigenous Indianperforming arts and academic-cultural partnerships.

Expressinghappiness over this achievement, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT, KISS &KIMS congratulated all the students, saying that KISS students had earlierbrought laurels to the country and the state by excelling in sports andacademics at the national and international levels. By presenting culturalperformances, they will earn recognition at the international level. This is amoment of joy for everyone.