Bhubaneswar, Jan. 17: Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University
(SOA) on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University
of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), USA, with the intention to facilitate academic and
research collaboration between the two institutions.
UNL is a comprehensive, public university listed as a Carnegie Research
Institution offering academic programs at the undergraduate, graduate and
professional levels in many disciplines including Agricultural Sciences and Natural
Resources, Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering,
Education and Human Sciences, Law, Fine and Performing Arts and Journalism
and Mass Communications.
The US University is also a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, a
consortium of world class research institutions which have advanced their
academic missions, generated unique opportunities for students and faculty and
served the common good by sharing expertise, leveraging campus resources and
collaborating in innovative programs.
The MoU was signed by UNL’s Chancellor Dr. Rodney D. Bennett and SOA
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda. Prof. Chittaranjan Ray, Director,
Nebraska Water Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA, reperesented the
US university.
The MoU, which would be subject to applicable US export control laws and
regulations controlling the transfer of technical information, would establish the
cooperative relationship between the institutions to facilitate collaboration in one
or more academic activities including teaching, research, student and faculty
exchange, technology transfer, publication, curriculum development, joint
projects and training.
Prof. Rabindra Kumar Panda, Director at SOA’s Centre for Climate Smart
Agriculture (CCSA), Prof. Uma Charan Mohanty, Distinguished Professor at CCSA,
Prof. Santosh Kumar Rout, Dean, SOA’s Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Prof.
Dhirendranath Thatoi, Additional Dean, SOA’s Institute of Technical Education and
Research, Prof. Bidhyadhar Basa, Head of Department of Civil Engineering and Mr.
Pramod Kumar Panda, SOA’s Chief Administrative Officer, were present.