Minneapolis/Bhubaneswar: KIIT, KISS and KIMS founder Dr Achyuta Samanta attended the 57th convention of the Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA) at Minneapolis.
Samanta, who was the chief guest, said that participating at the event was the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream.
In a significant development, KIIT, KISS and KIMS signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the OSA to strengthen long-term collaboration in education, healthcare, sports, artificial intelligence, innovation, research, culture and community engagement.
The partnership will create meaningful opportunities connecting Odisha with the global Od
ia community through scholarships, student exchange programmes, internships, collaborative research, faculty exchange and global learning initiatives.
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.
Addressing more than 1,000 Odia families at the convention, Dr Samanta praised the OSA’s role in preserving Odia identity while contributing to the development of Odisha.
“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.
“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.