KISS Deemed to be University (KISS-DU), Bhubaneswar signed an MoU with Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad on 25th January, 2022. This MoU aims at building cooperation and strengthening the relationship between KISS-DU and EDII. The MoU Signing Ceremony, held in a blended-mode, was graced by senior functionaries, and faculty members from EDII and KISS-DU.
In his welcome address, Professor Deepak Kumar Behera, Vice-Chancellor, KISS-DU said that EDII and KISS-DU share a very special relationship as they have jointly organized various capacity building programmes and workshops in the recent past. “We salute the long-standing relationship between the two organizations and it is the right time to work more intensively. More collaborative work can be done in areas like research, academic, internship, projects and training and development of students and faculty members including exchange programs”, he said. The Vice Chancellor also appreciated the kind of works being accomplished by EDII throughout the state and the country. He urged that the MoU should be functional in true sense, especially with regard to tribal entrepreneurship.
Introducing Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII, Ahmadabad, Dr. Disha Bhatt, Assistant Professor, KISS-DU said that Dr. Shukla is a pioneer in the field of entrepreneurship education and research.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Dr. Shukla mentioned that, it is a historic day for EDII to ink an MoU with KISS. The MoU signing will definitely open spheres for both the institutions to collectively work for the empowerment of the tribal children studying at KISS. He hailed the initiatives being undertaken by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KISS & KIIT and his unique vision and mission to work for the tribal communities at large. He also shared his experience of studying M.Phil. and Ph.D. at Utkal University, while expressing his desire to visit KISS sometime with his team post-pandemic to witness the facilities being provided to the 30,000 students at KISS. Dr. Shukla added that, in Odisha, after signing an MoU with Odisha State Open University, KISS-DU is the second University with which the MoU is being signed. He also shared the importance of good business ideas and opportunities and referred to some of the initiatives taken by the Govt. of India like Make in India, Digital India, Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Swachh Bharat. etc.
Dr. Subrat Biswal, Regional-in-Charge and Faculty, EDII, Eastern Regional Office, Bhubaneswar, who represented EDII to sign the MoU, shared his experiences with regard to developing entrepreneurship ecosystem with focus on building tribal entrepreneurs. Dr. Satya Acharya, Director Entrepreneur Education, EDII, Ahmedabad said that this MoU is a big opportunity for both the institutions to work for the development of the State of Odisha with collaborative efforts.
Dr. Prashanta Kumar Routray, Registrar, reciprocating the thought of Dr. Samanta, said that education has no meaning if it is not linked with livelihood. He added, academics should be linked with skill development and entrepreneurship. He laid stress on organizing need-based activities which according to him is the need of the hour. Dr. Routray also proposed the vote of thanks on the occasion. The MoU Signing Ceremony was initiated, organized and coordinated by Dr. Snigdharani Panda, Dean, School of Tribal Resource Management, KISS-DU.