KISS Students Showcase Odisha’s Tribal Culture in Romania with Santali Dance and Shakespeare Performances
Bhubaneswar: Ten students from the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) are on a visit to Romania to participate in an international cultural festival, performing William Shakespeare’s plays in the tribal languages of Odisha. The excited students are engaged in extensive preparations.
This is the first time KISS students have performed the Santali dance in a foreign country. Previously, they had visited foreign countries mainly for sports events; however, they are now visiting a European country like Romania to showcase tribal dances and promote cultural exchange. More than 150 students from 30 countries are participating in the event. The performance by the KISS students was highly appreciated by everyone present.
Under the fully funded Erasmus+ KA171 Student Mobility Programme, KISS students will be part of a two-month academic and cultural internship from 1st April to 31st May 2026. Ten students from KIIT Deemed to University also participating the event. For the first time, students from KIIT and KISS will travel together as one group, learning and experiencing this journey side by side. They have already begun rehearsals and will be staying in Romania for nearly two months. This is the first time in India that students from any educational institution will be performing Shakespeare’s plays in tribal languages on an international platform.
The students visited and performed at the University of Craiova. Indian Ambassador to Romania, Dr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra welcomed them to the university. Dr. Mohapatra is personally overseeing and taking care of the students during their visit.
Students from KIIT and KISS together will perform the Shakespeare plays Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet in the Santali language. The Santali language has recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Ol Chiki script. The students will receive a certificate for courses on Romanian culture and language.
This initiative marks a landmark moment in international cultural collaboration and is expected to significantly enhance the global visibility of indigenous Indian performing arts and academic-cultural partnerships.
Expressing happiness over this achievement, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT, KISS & KIMS congratulated all the students, saying that KISS students had earlier brought laurels to the country and the state by excelling in sports and academics at the national and international levels. By presenting cultural performances, they will earn recognition at the international level. This is a moment of joy for everyone.
