THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
MAY 22, 2026
KIIT-DU has signed
two significant MoUs with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and the United
Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) in Bonn, Germany, to create exclusive
global volunteering opportunities for students of KIIT and KISS.
The MoUs were signed
during the visit of KIIT and KISS Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta to Germany.
The MoUs seek to
provide KIIT students with international exposure and meaningful opportunities
to contribute to society through volunteerism. According to Dr. Samanta, KIIT
has become the first university in South Asia to establish such a pathway with
UNV for youth volunteering.
During the visit,
productive discussions were also held with the leadership of the UNV Programme
on future areas of collaboration focusing on service, learning and youth
engagement at the global level.
In another major
development, KIIT signed an MoU with the United Nations System Staff College
(UNSSC) through the Nelson Mandela Global Academy for Social Change. The
collaboration is expected to open up new avenues for young leaders to learn
about social transformation, leadership, dialogue, peace-building and service
to humanity.
Dr. Samanta said that
education should not remain confined to academic learning alone, but must also
nurture compassion, responsibility and a spirit of service towards humanity. He
thanked UNV and UNSSC for reposing faith in KIIT and expressed hope that the
partnerships would create wider opportunities for KIIT and KISS students to
learn from global platforms and contribute positively to society.
The MoU signing and
discussions were attended by Louise Chamberlain, Deputy Executive Coordinator,
UN Volunteers; Sukhrob Khoshmukhamedov, Chief, External Relations and
Communications Section, UN Volunteers; and Silke Weinlich, Deputy Director,
Learning & Knowledge Services, United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC).
