KIIT Partners with United Nations to offer Students opportunities to serve in UN agencies

Bhubaneswar: In a landmark event today, KIIT signed an MoU with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. This historic collaboration paves the way for KIIT students to engage directly with the United Nations, offering them a platform to serve as National UN Volunteers across various UN agencies. This initiative marks a significant milestone, being the first of its kind for a private university in South Asia. In the presence of Dr Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS; Mr. Shombi Sharp, the UN Resident Coordinator in India, and Ms. Radhika Kaul Batra, Chief of Staff at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO), the MoU was exchanged between Mr. Sushil Chaudhury, Country Coordinator, UN Volunteers, India & Prof. Saranjit Singh, Vice Chancellor, KIIT DU. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sharp highlighted the importance of lifelong learning and praised Dr Samanta for his vision and efforts in providing holistic education to children in Odisha and beyond.Sharp also extended congratulations to KIIT on its numerous accolades, including a prestigious UNESCO award, underlining the global recognition of its educational model. He commended the institute for emphasizing education in the mother tongue, which plays a crucial role in preserving culture and enhancing learning experiences. Dr Samanta, in his address, said This partnership opens a remarkable opportunity for our students to engage with various UN agencies to serve as National University UN Volunteers who will be deployed for various development initiatives within the UN agencies. This initiative will provide young people with first-hand experience and enable them to contribute to sustainable development efforts alongside UN partners and local communities. It will also be an opportunity for them to gain valuable professional experience in international development, shaping their future career paths.As per the MoU, students will have the rare chance to gain hands-on experience in international development, working alongside UN partners and local communities. The program is designed to nurture the talents and skills of students, equipping them with the knowledge and experience necessary to flourish in the global development arena.This exposure is invaluable, offering insights into the
workings of international development projects and sustainable development efforts. It’s an unparalleled opportunity for students to gain professional experience that could shape their future career paths in the realm of global development.The delegation comprised William Hanlon, Chief of Field Office UNICEF; Abha Mishra, Head of Office, UNDP Odisha, Himanshu Bal, Head of Office WFP Odisha. Vice Chancellor of KISS-DU Prof Deepak Kumar Behera also attended the MoU signing ceremony. Agreement between Keith and UN Volunteers Bhubaneswar, 8.4: An agreement has been signed between Keith University and UN Volunteers (UNV) on Monday. The MoU was exchanged between KIIT and KISS Founder Achyut Samantha, UN Resident Coordinator in India Sombi Sarp, KIIT University Chancellor Professor Sharanjit Singh and UNV India Coordinator Sushil Chowdhury. According to this agreement, the students of Keith University will be engaged in the development work carried out by various organizations of the United Nations. For this they will also be given stipend. This opportunity will help students gain valuable professional experience in the field of international development and help them build their future careers. This is the first time in South Asia that a prestigious institution like UNV has entered into an agreement with a private university. Founder Shri Samantha thanked UNV and its Residential Coordinator in India Sombi Sarp for signing this
MoU with Keith University. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Samantha said that this agreement is not just a partnership between the two
institutions, it will help in providing opportunities to students to fulfill their dreams and develop their talent and skills to contribute to global development. Mr. Sharpe said, “This initiative will provide students with firsthand experience of working at the UN and enable them to engage in sustainable development efforts with various UN agencies and local communities.” Chief of Staff of UN Regional Coordinator Office in New Delhi, Radhika Kaul Batra, Odisha Chief of UNDP, Ava Mishra, Odisha Chief of UN World Food Program Himanshu Bal, UNICEF Odisha Chief, William Hanlon Keys University Chancellor Prof. Deepak Kumar Behera, Keith University Chancellor Prof. Vishan Ranjan were among others present at the event. Dr. Prashant Kumar Rautarai, Chancellor of Mohanty and Kish University, was the chief guest.

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