THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
MINNEAPOLIS/BHUBANESWAR,
JULY 4, 2026
The Founder of KIIT,
KISS and KIMS, Achyuta Samanta on Saturday inaugurated the 57th Convention of
the Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA) in Minneapolis as the Chief Guest,
describing his participation in the prestigious gathering as the fulfilment of
a long-cherished dream. He lauded the organisation for its unwavering
commitment to preserving the Odia identity while contributing significantly to
the development of Odisha.
Addressing more than
1,000 Odia families attending the convention, Dr Samanta expressed his
gratitude to the organisers for inviting him and described the event as a
vibrant 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, belonging 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 also
commended members of OSA for earning recognition and success in the United
States through their hard work and dedication while remaining deeply connected
to their roots and consistently extending support to 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
added.
Highlighting KIIT and
KISS's growing global academic engagement, Dr Samanta 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.”
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 introduce a Summer Odisha Immersion
Programme, enabling 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 interactions between KIIT-KISS students and members of the global
Odia diaspora.
The MoU also
envisages collaboration in healthcare institutions, startup incubators,
innovation laboratories and professional exchange programmes, while fostering
partnerships between KIIT-KISS faculty and OSA’s network of educators,
physicians, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs and technology leaders.
The signing ceremony
and the 57th OSA Convention were attended by Sita Kanta Dash, Somnath Ghosh,
Omkar Nath Mohanty, OSA President Nageswar Rajanala, Vice-President Utkal
Nayak, Secretary Snigdha Hota, Treasurer Sanjeeb Rout, along with several
distinguished members of the Odia diaspora, academicians, professionals and
community leaders from across the United States and Canada.
