Bhubaneswar: Seventeen international students of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University who graduated in different disciplines were awarded their degree certificates here on Friday.
The students, from countries like Syria, Ethiopia, Bhutan and Nepal, graduated in Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Science, Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. They completed the four-year courses at Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), SOA’s faculty of engineering and technology.
SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda gave away the certificates.
Prof. Manjula Das, Controller of Examination, Prof. Pradip Kumar Sahoo, Dean of the faculty of Engineering and Technology, Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare), Prof. Renu Sharma, Additional Dean (Student Affairs), ITER and Prof. Nachieketa K Sharma, Director, University Outreach Programme, were also present at the graduation ceremony.
Congratulating the graduates, Prof. Nanda said they had a difficult time away from home when the COVID-19 pandemic brought life to a standstill.
“You have passed out of a university which has been ranked 15th in the country by the National Institutional Ranking Framework and an engineering college ranked 27th nationally for the second consecutive year. I am confident the education imparted to you will be of much use when you return to your country,” he said.
Syrian students Belal Ayman Jawhara and Afraa Jumma, who delivered acceptance speeches, thanked the teachers and others for making it possible for them to complete the courses.
“When we came in 2019, we were confused and scared, but we were made to feel at home. India is now my second country and I have spent the best four years of my life at SOA,” Jawhara said.
