For the founder of the KIIT Dr Achyuta Samanta, the conceptualisation of KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Science) was not merely a vision for the downtrodden but it was like the turning of a page of his vision to power the powerless through self-reliance. He envisioned education as the gateway to the mission's success.
From a nascent baby to the world’s largest learning hub for the backward in the world, KISS has been preceded by so many milestones in its almost three-decade-long existence. This is an addition.
Deemed-to-be University for the last five years, KISS-DU has left no space for any of its kind to breathe down its neck. It has simply grown taller and taller, dwarfing many around it.
KISS Deemed-to-be University (KISS-DU) completed a glorious five years of existence on August 25. It is a remarkable feat for this one-of-a-kind institute that has been conceptualised to provide higher education exclusively to tribal students.
Along the way, KISS-DU has recorded some significant milestones and achievements that have helped it reach where it is today. On September 15, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated KISS-DU for being granted University status, marking the beginning of a successful journey
or the institute.
Five major milestones:
1) To enhance the education experience, KISS-DU inducted 23 distinguished academicians as Emeritus Professors who will guide students and mentors in innovative research.
2) Similarly, 14 Professors of Practice who have no formal training were roped in to teach various aspects of tribal languages, songs, and dances, shawl weaving, herbal medicine and therapeutics, and story-telling as part of Anthropology, Language Teaching, Tribal Literature and Indigenous Technology. This step was consciously taken to provide experiential knowledge and ensure students remain in touch with their roots.
3) The University has also instituted seven research chairs to honour seven illustrious personalities of Odisha. The students receive in-depth learning on the life and works of Odisha’s great luminaries.
4) Moreover, to preserve the tribal culture of students, KISS-DU proudly runs seven tribal-centric schools on its campus. There is a committee for the protection, promotion and preservation of Tribal Culture, Heritage and Diversity. KISS-DU has also signed more than 30 MoUs with Indian and Overseas Universities and institutions for academic and industry collaboration.
5) KISS-DU has set up an innovation council named with seven innovative research centres under it in areas like Indigenous Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Sacred Groves, Indigenous Cultural Heritage and Diversity, Indigenous Science and Technology, Indigenous Knowledge on Herbal Medicines and Therapeutics, Indigenous Languages and Narratives and Study of Indigenous Peoples across the Globe. The focus has always been to make students feel closer to home and make education relevant and fun.
The University has made a name for itself in a short span of five years and is on the right path, having already produced three PhD scholars. With the leadership of its visionary founder DrAchyuta Samanta and the guidance of a well-rounded team of academicians and professors, KISS-DU is expected to scale great heights in the years to come.
