Ambassador of Burundi calls for cooperation in agriculture, mining

Bhubaneswar: The Ambassador of the Republic of Burundi in India, Stella Budiriganya on Saturday called for increased cooperation between India and her country, particularly in areas of mining, agriculture and food processing.

 “Universities in India are research-oriented and we are open for collaboration in different areas including mining, agriculture and food processing as also education and research,” Budiriganya, on a two-day visit to Odisha, said at the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA).

The Ambassador, who exchanged ideas and views with SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Deans of different faculties and other officials, during her visit to the Deemed to be University, said she was impressed by the emphasis laid on research by SOA and appreciated the quality of education.

When informed that students from 13 different countries were studying in SOA, she said those from Burundi should also come to this university which was taking good care of foreign students and had a secure environment. Universities in India should open their offices in Burundi, she said.

Ms. Budiriganya also lauded India’s progress saying the country had displayed its ability by coming up with vaccines against Covid-19.

Prof. Nanda presented an overview of the academic and research activities at SOA while Dr. Nachiketa Sharma, Director, International Relation and Admission, spoke about the countries from which students had joined the university to study in different courses.

Prof. Mahapatra said SOA was a multi-disciplinary and research oriented university which played a stellar role in combating the Covid-19 pandemic in Odisha by successfully operating four stand alone Covid Hospitals and two Covid Care Centres run by the government having more than 2200 beds.

The Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, SOA’s faculty of medicine, played a part in development of Covaxin, the vaccine against Covid-19, he said.