KISS Deemed to be University Gets Its New Vice Chancellor
Professor Deepak Kumar Behera, an illustrious Educationist, ace Anthropologist, able Administrator, and brilliant Author, has joined KISS Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar as the Vice-Chancellor on 26th March, 2021.
Prior to joining KISS, he served as the Vice-Chancellor of Sambalpur University from 18th January 2018 to 17th January 2021. He was the former Vice-Chancellor of Berhampur University from 1st August 2013 to 31st July 2016. Besides, he was the first Vice-Chancellor of Rajendra University, Balangir (a newly established State-funded University in Odisha).
Prof. Behera has the distinction of being the only Anthropologist in India to become the Vice-Chancellor of three different Universities. He was a Fulbright Visiting Professorat California State University at Long Beach.
During his glorious academic career, he has achieved so many landmarks, authored many journals and books, adorned several significant positions in prestigious institutions, and organized some national and international conferences. For his outstanding contribution in the field of Anthropology, he has received many honors, accolades and appreciations.
Prof. Behera is the recipient of the prestigious Sarat Chandra Roy Memorial Gold Medal by Asiatic Society, Kolkata (the oldest educational institution in Asia) for his outstanding contribution in the field of Cultural Anthropology in India.
He has to his credit more than 120 research publications in reputed journals and edited volumes. Most of his publications are in the fields of “tribal studies” and “children & childhood”. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of the Indian Journals: Oriental Anthropology, Social Change and Journal of Social Sciences.
Prof. Behera served as a member of the Executive Board of World Anthropology Association (International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, IUAES) for two consecutive terms, i.e. for the period 1998-2009. He is the founding Chairman of the IUAES International Commission on Anthropology of Children, Youth and Childhood. He was a member of the Governing Council of Association of Indian Universities (AIU) continuously for three consecutive terms (from 2013 to 2016). Notably, he is the General President of the newly formed Anthropology Association titled, “United Indian Anthropology Forum”.