New York: The City University of New York (CUNY) has named a newly-established research institute after Odisha’s well-known educationist Dr Achyuta Samanta.
The institute, named Achyuta Samanta India Initiative CUNY Crest Institute (ASIICCI), was inaugurated in New York on Tuesday in the presence of Dr Samanta, and eminent academicians and dignitaries from the United States.
This is the first time a research institute in the US has been named after an Indian.
Dr Samanta was also awarded the university’s highest honour, the Presidential Medal.
ASIICCI will support research by American students on Odisha’s art and heritage. It will also focus on Dr Samanta’s work in education and tribal development.
Impressed by Dr Samanta’s work during his recent visit to KIIT and KISS in Bhubaneswar, Dr Milton Santiago, President of Bronx Community College under CUNY, proposed suggested naming the institute after the former. The university board approved Dr Santiago’s proposal.
“The Achyuta Samanta India Initiative will help American students from diverse backgrounds understand and engage with India’s tribal communities, cultural roots, and one of the world’s most impactful educational models,” Dr Santiago said at the inauguration event.
Dr Samanta said it was an honour to have an institute in the US named after him. He said the recognition was a matter of pride for Odisha, KIIT and KISS, and dedicated the honour to the people of Odisha and the KIIT-KISS community.
CUNY, a 175-year-old public university in the US, has more than 300,000 students – from 122 countries — across 25 colleges.