Bhubaneswar: Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD) on Wednesday. The CYSD is actively involved in enhancing the quality of life for tribal and rural communities. This collaborative effort aims to address various aspects of community development.
According to the terms outlined in the MoU, SOA and CYSD will engage in a range of activities. They will jointly organize workshops, conferences, and training programs on gender studies and community connections. These initiatives are designed to broaden the exposure and outreach of both students and research scholars. Additionally, the partnership will involve endeavors such as agro-forestry, collective farming (including watershed development), and the localization of sustainable development goals.
The MoU was formalized through the signatures of Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of SOA, and Mr. Jagadananda, Co-founder of CYSD. Beyond the academic realm, the collaboration extends to integrated farming systems and pilot experiments in underdeveloped regions of Odisha. The joint efforts will also focus on engaging youth in development activities and contributing to community-based disaster preparedness.
Further aspects of the collaboration include joint research activities, interactive learning, and the enhancement of educational quality through community-based participatory research. CYSD will actively support SOA by hosting student interns, thereby enriching their academic insights.
During the signing ceremony, Mr. Jagadananda emphasized the shared goals of CYSD and SOA, particularly in leadership development within rural communities and the revitalization of grassroots institutions. He expressed CYSD’s commitment to reinforcing the community-level initiatives undertaken by SOA in villages.
The event witnessed the presence of key figures from both institutions, including SOA’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sitikantha Mishra, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Prof. Santosh Kumar Rout, Director of ITER Prof. Manas Kumar Mallick, SOA’s Chief Administrative Officer Mr. Pramod Kumar Panda, Chief Operating Officer of CYSD Mr. Haris Chandra Singh, and Programme Director Mr. Basanta Nayak.
