India Trek & Global Faculty Programme Seattle University at KIIT & KISS Academic & Cultural Immersion | December 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In December 2025, a delegation of twelve participants from Seattle University—representing all seven colleges—traveled to India as guests of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Intentionally designed as an integrated engagement model, the visit marked the first time KIIT’s two hallmark programs—the India Trek and the Global Faculty Programme—were combined to create a dynamic experience focused on academic exchange, institutional partnership, and place-based global learning. Through the Global Faculty Programme, faculty engaged India’s educational and social contexts through teaching, seminars, faculty roundtables, and leadership dialogue, supporting curriculum innovation, collaborative research, and sustained institutional partnerships in service of transformative education. The India Trek complemented this academic focus with cultural immersion and community engagement, enabling faculty to interact with students and local communities, engage with cultural traditions and everyday practices, and deepen understanding of India’s social, cultural, and educational landscapes. The pages that follow highlight the host institutions, program design, Seattle University delegation, engagement activities and partners, faculty reflections, and the broader impact of this experience—why it matters and how it informs future engagement with India.
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT 12 faculty and staff 7 SU colleges represented First combined India Trek + Global Faculty Programme December 5-15, 2025 | Bhubaneswar
HOST INSTITUTIONS Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Founded by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, KIIT (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology) is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary university in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, recognized for its academic scale, innovation, and global outlook. Serving more than 40,000 students across 20+ schools and disciplines—including engineering, sciences, health professions, law, business, and the arts—KIIT has emerged as a leading hub for higher education, research, and international collaboration in India. For Seattle University faculty, KIIT offered a dynamic environment for engagement and comparative insight into how large-scale higher education systems operate while remaining connected to social impact and global partnership.
Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) is one of the world’s largest residential educational institutions dedicated to indigenous and tribal communities. Serving more than 30,000 students from over 60 Indigenous communities, KISS provides fully supported education from primary school through postgraduate study, integrating academics with nutrition, healthcare, vocational training, and cultural preservation. KISS models education grounded in tribal and Indigenous knowledge and responsive to local, state, and national needs. Faculty engagements highlighted how large-scale institutions can advance equity, access, and social transformation while remaining rooted in cultural preservation and grassroots impact
PROGRAM DESIGN This faculty- and staff-only program intentionally combined KIIT'S India Trek and Global Faculty Programme for the first time, creating a dynamic model of academic exchange, collaboration, and place-based learning.
India Trek The India Trek offers a place-based learning experience through cultural immersion and community engagement, typically inviting student cohorts to explore India through lived experience. Through field visits, interaction with local communities, and engagement with everyday cultural practices, participants can expand their perspectives on India’s social, cultural, and economic contexts while fostering reflection and cross-cultural exchange beyond the classroom.
Global Faculty Programme The Global Faculty Programme welcomes faculty in academic exchange, collaborative research, and institutional partnership within India’s evolving educational and social contexts. Through teaching and workshops, faculty roundtables, seminars, and leadership meetings, participants explore curriculum innovation and research collaboration in support of transformative education and sustained academic partnership.
SEATTLE DELEGATION Coordinated through the Roundglass India Center, Seattle University sent 12 faculty and staff from all seven colleges, underscoring a university-wide investment in global engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration. This breadth of representation positioned Seattle University as a unified academic partner during engagements at KIIT and KISS.
COLLEGES, FACULTY, & STAFF REPRESENTED College of Arts and Sciences Albers School of Business and Economics College of Education College of Nursing and Health Sciences College of Science and Engineering Cornish College of the Arts School of Law
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES Teaching, Research & Academic Exchange
Institutional Partnership & Leadership Dialogue
Through the Global Faculty Programme, faculty contributed to teaching, seminars, and workshops with KIIT and KISS students and joined faculty roundtables for scholarly dialogue. These exchanges explored curriculum innovation, collaborative research, and shared pedagogical practice in support of transformative education and sustained academic partnership.
Faculty and staff engaged with academic and institutional leaders to strengthen opportunities for long-term partnership between Seattle University, KIIT, and KISS. Conversations focused on aligning academic priorities, exploring research collaboration, and developing future opportunities for faculty and student engagement.
Cultural Immersion & Contextual Learning Through the India Trek, faculty participated in place-based learning grounded in cultural immersion and community engagement. Interaction with students, local communities, and grassroots initiatives—alongside engagement with everyday cultural practices—deepened understanding of India’s social, cultural, and educational contexts.
PARTNERS ENGAGED
Through classroom connects and roundtable meetings, faculty engaged schools, centers, and offices across KIIT and KISS, delivering guest lectures and participating in conversations with faculty and students to exchange ideas on pedagogy, research, and institutional collaboration.
KIIT SCHOOLS ENGAGED School of Aerospace Engineering School of Computer Engineering School of Design School of Economics & Commerce School of Electronics Engineering School of Electrical Engineering School of Fashion Technology School of Film & Media Sciences School of Law
CENTERS, LABS, & OFFICES ENGAGED School of Liberal Studies School of Management School of Mechanical Engineering School of Management School of Nursing Sciences School of Public Health School of Public Policy School of Sports & Yogic Sciences
Centre for American Studies Centre for Tribal Studies KIIT Technology Business Incubator KISS Language Lab KISS Vocational Activities & Life Skills Lab Office of International Affairs
FACULTY REFLECTIONS
“One of the most profound travel experiences of my life. The combination of intellectual exchange and cultural immersion was unlike anything I’ve experienced before.” Brian Harlan “Witnessing the mission-driven work at KISS was both humbling and inspiring— education that changes lives and uplifts entire communities.” Colette Taylor “This experience changed the way I think about international politics and human security. The visit will most definitely improve my scholarship and teaching on Asian politics" Yitan Li “A profoundly inspirational experience— one that deepened our understanding and affirmed how much more we can do together.” Elizabeth Baldwin (pictured)
IMPACT & NEXT STEPS Why this Matters This combined Global Faculty Programme and India Trek demonstrated the value of a faculty- and staff-focused engagement in India by: • Integrating academic exchange with cultural immersion, enabling faculty to engage India’s educational and social contexts in meaningful, place-based ways. • Expanding faculty perspectives on pedagogy, curriculum design, and global partnership through direct engagement with Indian institutions and communities. • Strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration across Seattle University’s seven colleges through a shared global learning experience. • Reinforcing mission-aligned global education oriented toward reflection, relationship-building, and the common good.
Looking Ahead Looking ahead, this work creates opportunities to: • Expand faculty participation in Global Faculty Programmes and India Treks to support teaching collaboration, curriculum development, and joint research. • Integrate insights from India into courses, study abroad programs, and experiential learning across disciplines. • Deepen partnerships with Indian institutions through sustained faculty and leadership engagement. • Advance transformative education through interdisciplinary, place-based global learning grounded in real-world contexts.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Seattle University extends sincere thanks to Dr. Achyuta Samata, the founder of KIIT, KISS, and KIMS and our hosts at KIIT and KISS for their generosity, leadership, and commitment to educational exchange. We also thank the Consulate General of India, Seattle for their support of this trip. Thank you to the SeattleU faculty and staff whose participation made this program possible, and the Roundglass India Center for its leadership in advancing global engagement.
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For more information, contact roundglass@seattleu.edu.