KIIT DU Awarded Prestigious UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status
By Chitta Ranjan Beura
Bhubaneswar, July 29 : KIIT Deemed to be University has been granted the distinguished Special Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC), recognizing the University’s substantial contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From a pool of 476 applications around the World, only 19 organizations, including KIIT DU, were selected for this prestigious honour. The status was conferred during the UN ECOSOC management segment meeting held on July 23, 2024, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
This recognition underscores KIIT’s unwavering commitment to the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 and the SDGs. Attaining Special Consultative Status marks a significant milestone, positioning KIIT among a select group of universities globally that have earned this esteemed distinction.
In another development, KIIT has signed an MoU with UN Volunteers (UNV). This partnership opens a remarkable opportunity for students of KIIT DU 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. These opportunities will equip KIIT students with valuable professional experience in international development, shaping their future career paths with proper stipend. This initiative is a first of its kind by any private university in South Asia.
Similarly, the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), a global leader in fostering international understanding and diplomacy has announced its historic collaboration with the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and KIIT. KISS is the sister concern of KIIT. With the steadfast support of the U.S. Department of State and a score of other partners, over 8,900 leaders in the U.S. and in 129 countries and territories around the world have travelled on our life-changing exchange programs.
With alumni that include prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, ACYPL has a storied history of influencing international relations and leadership.
Expressing his happiness Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said that it is a matter of pride that KIIT is the only professional/ technical university in India to achieve UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status. Also, in India, both KIIT and KISS in Odisha are proud to get this prestigious award. KISS has already been awarded with UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status in 2015 and has been continuing with this status till date, he informed.
He has also expressed that KIIT is the only university in South Asia to get UNV status for engaging students for internship. ACYPL is a very prestigious thing for KIIT to engage political diplomats and leaders to visit KIIT & KISS from across the world and have an internship programme, he added.
