With support from the Global Innovation Fund, Dr. Faisal Hossain, UW Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, used satellite imagery and data to help Pakistani farmers make informed decisions about irrigation. Later, using a similar approach, Hossain informed multi-country decisions about water use in the Mekong River with the goal of protecting the river’s freshwater fisheries. Today, Hossain is working with graduate students and tribal communities along the Columbia River to help restore tribal fishing stocks by harnessing satellite data to determine river temperatures.
The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) is the University of Washington’s hub for global engagement. OGA advances global teaching, research and learning for faculty, staff and students and works to enhance the University’s global presence and impact with a footprint that spans all over the world.
At the invitation of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, a delegation of UW faculty and students traveled to Bhubaneshwar in India for a 10-day study tour and faculty visit.
Faculty and students from the University of Washington and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) offers professional education to 40,000 students from across India, including 2,000 international students from 65 countries. It is known for the quality of its academic courses, its community outreach work and as a university of compassion and humanitarianism. The interdisciplinary and application-driven education model at KIIT shows how the university blends academic rigor with real-world impact. KIIT’s rapid growth in scope and scale over the past 25 years has made it a case study for higher education in India. The vision of the founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta has been to create a holistic education for the students and such collaborations are an integral part of the education system.
Prof. Akhtar Badshah, Distinguished Practitioner in the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health, was invited to visit KIIT last August and was very impressed by the institution and its quality of education and the overall vision of training students. Upon returning to the UW, Prof. Badshah collaborated with Prof. Anita Ramasastry, School of Law and Office of Global Affairs, to organize a faculty learning experience and Prof. Surya Pathak, UW Bothell School of Business, and Prof. R. Brooks Gekler to design a study abroad program for students.
The delegation from the University of Washington visited KIIT between March 19 – 29, 2025. 11 UW students – six undergraduate and five graduate students – participated in a business course called India Trek alongside students from the KIIT School of Management on a project for a fisheries company in Bhubaneswar. The industry-academic collaboration enhanced the company’s supply chain efficiency, financial mechanisms, sustainability and global market positioning. Five UW faculty members also visited KIIT for a faculty learning experience called Global Faculty Program: Prof. Stephen Hawes, Department of Global Health, Prof. Erica Barnhart, Evans School for Public Policy & Governance, Prof. Ekin Yasin and Prof. Matthew Powers, Department of Communications and Prof. Akhtar Badshah. Their trip included visiting respective departments and schools, and working with faculty and students with the aim of sharing their expertise, learning what programs KIIT offers, and exploring possible collaborations.
The delegation visit to KIIT was made possible due to the support of Consul General Prakash Gupta. The visit highlighted KIIT’s global contributions to higher education, research, and cross-border academic collaborations, reinforcing its role as a hub for innovative learning, international engagement, knowledge exchange and social transformation. Initiatives like the India Trek, which provides international students with immersive learning experiences in India’s socio-economic and cultural landscape, and the Global Faculty Program, which brings distinguished academicians from across the world to teach and engage with KIIT students, exemplify its vision for academic excellence with a global perspective.
Videographer: Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
Friday, May 10 // 1 :00-5:00 PM // William H. Gates Hall (LAW)
Join us for a research showcase featuring the projects and scholarship of faculty members who work in/on or collaboratively with scholars from India.
University of Washington faculty are engaged in a broad array of research and collaboration relating to India. On May 10th the UW South Asia Center and UW Office of Global Affairs are gathering to showcase their work. Come hear lightning talks on Indian painting, Bollywood films, Unicorn ventures, global health and more. Free and open to the UW community and members of the Seattle community.
This summer, 10 UW students will participate in a new Exploration Seminar course in Nepal. Organized by the Nepal Studies Initiative (NSI), the seminar is one of the few formal programs in the U.S. focused on Nepal.
NASA satellites are helping Pakistan’s water managers to more effectively monitor and manage scarce groundwater resources, thanks to a partnership with engineers and hydrologists at the University of Washington, supported in part by the Global Innovation Fund. After training at the UW, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources began using satellite data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, mission to create monthly updates on groundwater storage changes in the Indus River basin. This will allow them to see where groundwater supplies are being depleted and where they are being adequately recharged, better supporting Pakistan’s agriculture-base economy.
With support from the Global Innovation Fund, The South Asia Center and the Global Business Center are partnering to host a symposium, “US-India Economic Relations and the Contemporary Indian Economy” on campus. Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok, Consul General of India of San Francisco, as well as prominent members of the local community and UW faculty experts will address the group and engage in the symposium.
Event details
Friday, February 26, 2016
2:00-5:00 PM
Bank of America Executive Education Center, Douglas Forum Symposium Agenda
University of Washington faculty are engaged in a broad array of research and collaboration relating to India. On May 10th the UW South Asia Center and UW Office of Global Affairs are gathering to showcase their work. Come hear lightning talks on Indian painting, Bollywood films, Unicorn ventures, global health and more. Free and open to the UW community and members of the Seattle community.