Bhubaneswar: Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University, a beacon of quality education, healthcare, and focused research, proudly marked its 19th Foundation Day today, reaffirming its commitment to becoming one of India’s top-notch institutions of excellence. The university’s remarkable growth and achievements are a testament to the enduring vision of its Founder President, Prof. (Dr.) Manojranjan Nayak.
From its humble inception on July 17, 2007, when the Education Ministry conferred upon it the status of a Deemed to be University, SOA has traversed a long and impactful journey. Prof. Nayak’s foresight to establish the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER) in 1996, driven by the need for quality engineering education in Odisha, laid the groundwork for what would become a multi-disciplinary powerhouse. His core belief that a center of higher learning should ignite the desire to illuminate society, not just secure jobs, has permeated every facet of SOA’s development.
Addressing the Foundation Day program, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda highlighted the university’s impressive trajectory, including its 14th rank nationally among higher education institutions in the NIRF 2024 rankings, and its status as a Category I university under the UGC. He emphasized SOA’s strong focus on research, with 115 government-funded projects, 18 inter-disciplinary research centers, and 60 state-of-the-art laboratories facilitating groundbreaking work. The university’s research publications have surged from around 300 to a staggering 15,800, with 300 Ph.D. researchers enrolling annually.
Dr. Debasis Dash, Director of the Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, gracing the occasion as chief guest, echoed the need for introspection and a bold vision. He urged SOA to undertake a project of international significance, fostering collaboration between health sciences, engineering, and life sciences to create a comprehensive database that would make the entire country look to SOA for leadership. This aligns perfectly with Prof. Nayak’s emphasis on research that is relevant to society and requires integration between disciplines.
Prof. Nanda further elaborated on SOA’s commitment to societal contribution, citing the development of simple, economical, and innovative pharmaceutical formulations for chronic medical conditions, with two products already commercialized through a technology licensing agreement with the National Research Development Corporation.
SOA’s dedication to healthcare was profoundly demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic, where it stepped forward to establish and run five standalone Covid hospitals in Odisha, deploying its own medical professionals to treat patients. This swift and impactful response underscored the university’s deep-rooted sense of responsibility to the community, a principle central to Prof. Nayak’s vision.
The university continues to enhance its academic prowess by appointing adjunct professors from top-notch universities across the country. As Prof. Nanda stated, “we take the resolve to grow and aim to be among the top ten universities of the country,” a goal that resonates with Prof. Nayak’s relentless pursuit of excellence.
The Foundation Day program, conducted by Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare), also saw addresses by other key figures including Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, Principal Advisor (Health Sciences), Prof. Anup Kumar Samantaray, Prof. Prasanta Kumar Patra (both Pro-Vice Chancellors), and Prof. Manjula Das, Controller of Examination. Prof. Debajyoti Das, Dean, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, delivered the vote of thanks.
Under the visionary leadership of Prof. (Dr.) Manojranjan Nayak, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan has evolved into a formidable force in Indian higher education, consistently striving to provide quality education, advance research, and contribute meaningfully to society, with an unwavering gaze set on even greater achievements in the years to come.