At the invitation of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, a delegation of UW faculty and students traveled to Bhubaneshwar in India for a 10-day study tour and faculty visit.
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) offers professional education to 40,000 students from across India, including 2,000 international students from 65 countries. It is known for the quality of its academic courses, its community outreach work and as a university of compassion and humanitarianism. The interdisciplinary and application-driven education model at KIIT shows how the university blends academic rigor with real-world impact. KIIT’s rapid growth in scope and scale over the past 25 years has made it a case study for higher education in India. The vision of the founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta has been to create a holistic education for the students and such collaborations are an integral part of the education system.
Prof. Akhtar Badshah, Distinguished Practitioner in the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health, was invited to visit KIIT last August and was very impressed by the institution and its quality of education and the overall vision of training students. Upon returning to the UW, Prof. Badshah collaborated with Prof. Anita Ramasastry, School of Law and Office of Global Affairs, to organize a faculty learning experience and Prof. Surya Pathak, UW Bothell School of Business, and Prof. R. Brooks Gekler to design a study abroad program for students.
The delegation from the University of Washington visited KIIT between March 19 – 29, 2025. 11 UW students – six undergraduate and five graduate students – participated in a business course called India Trek alongside students from the KIIT School of Management on a project for a fisheries company in Bhubaneswar. The industry-academic collaboration enhanced the company’s supply chain efficiency, financial mechanisms, sustainability and global market positioning. Five UW faculty members also visited KIIT for a faculty learning experience called Global Faculty Program: Prof. Stephen Hawes, Department of Global Health, Prof. Erica Barnhart, Evans School for Public Policy & Governance, Prof. Ekin Yasin and Prof. Matthew Powers, Department of Communications and Prof. Akhtar Badshah. Their trip included visiting respective departments and schools, and working with faculty and students with the aim of sharing their expertise, learning what programs KIIT offers, and exploring possible collaborations.
The delegation visit to KIIT was made possible due to the support of Consul General Prakash Gupta. The visit highlighted KIIT’s global contributions to higher education, research, and cross-border academic collaborations, reinforcing its role as a hub for innovative learning, international engagement, knowledge exchange and social transformation. Initiatives like the India Trek, which provides international students with immersive learning experiences in India’s socio-economic and cultural landscape, and the Global Faculty Program, which brings distinguished academicians from across the world to teach and engage with KIIT students, exemplify its vision for academic excellence with a global perspective.
Videographer: Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology