SOA signs MoU with CYSD for community development

Bhubaneswar: Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University signed an MoU with Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD) on Wednesday for jointly working to improve quality of life among the tribal and rural poor.

As per the MoU, SOA will collaborate with CYSD to conduct joint workshops, conferences and training programmes on gender studies and community
connect to enhance exposure and outreach of students and research scholars, also carry out agro-forestry and collective farming including watershed
development and localise sustainable development goals.

Prof Pradipta Kumar Nanda, vice-chancellor of SOA, and Jagadananda, co-founder of CYSD, signed the MoU. SOA and CYSD will also jointly work on integrated farming systems and conduct pilot experiments in selected backward regions of Odisha, engage the youth in development and contribute towards community based disaster preparedness.

Also read: SOA and NIT-Warangal sign MoU for collaborative research

The two institutions will carry out joint research activities and facilitate interactive learning and quality of education through community based
participatory research. Besides, efforts will be made by CYSD to host student interns to deepen their academic insight.

Speaking on the occasion, Jagadananda said CYSD and SOA will work to ensure leadership development among the rural people and help revamp grass
root institutions.

CYSD will also help stabilise the work being done by SOA at the community level in the villages. 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 Pramod Kumar Panda, chief operating officer of CYSD Haris Chandra Singh and programme director Basanta Nayak were present.