In a noteworthy development underscoring growing academic collaboration between India and the United States, the City University of New York (CUNY) has launched a dedicated research platform—the Achyuta Samanta India Initiative of the CUNY CREST Institute (ASIICCI).
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Dr. Milton Santiago, President of Bronx Community College, and Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT & KISS, jointly inaugurate the Achyuta Samanta India Initiative of CUNY CREST Institute (ASIICCI) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in New York.
Named after Dr. Achyuta Samanta, a noted Indian educationist and social worker, the initiative focuses on academic research in Indian social and educational sectors, with a particular lens on Odisha. This marks one of the rare instances of a living Indian being honoured with such a naming in an American public university system.
Dr. Samanta, who hails from Odisha, is the founder of two major institutions—Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). KIIT is a multidisciplinary university offering a wide range of professional programmes to over 40,000 students. KISS, on the other hand, provides free education, accommodation, healthcare, and food to more than 40,000 tribal children. His pioneering work in ensuring free quality education and holistic development to marginalised communities has earned him global recognition.
Over the years, Dr. Samanta has been conferred with 67 honorary doctorate degrees (honoris causa) from universities across the globe—one of the highest such recognitions received by any Indian academician or social worker.
Speaking on the rationale behind the initiative, representatives at CUNY noted that Dr. Samanta’s model—integrating education with empowerment—offers a replicable example for institutions worldwide. The platform aims to provide scholars with an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary research centred on India’s developmental challenges and contributions. Additionally, it will facilitate an in-depth exploration of Samanta’s educational model that has successfully integrated academic excellence with social impact.
The official inauguration, held earlier this week, was attended by senior academics including Dr. Milton Santiago, President of Bronx Community College, part of the CUNY system. With over 300,000 students from 122 nationalities, CUNY is one of the largest and most diverse public university systems in the United States.
While institutions in the U.S. have occasionally recognised Indian cultural figures posthumously, ASIICCI is unique in being named after a living Indian educator. The initiative is expected to foster long-term academic engagement between Indian and American scholars.
The development has been noted in academic circles as a gesture of cross-cultural recognition, adding to the growing discourse on inclusive, socially driven education models.
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