Orissa updates mark talks and progress by delegation

No word directly from our WASITRAC delegates for the past 24 hours, but we are tracking media reports from the mission and see that their itinerary is being followed. International missions typically have exhausting schedules, with extensive meetings and travel from early morning to late at night, so we are assuming our intrepid bloggers in the field have simply had no time to provide updates!

Craig Patterson, head of international curriculum for the KiiT International School in Bhubaneswar, where the delegation visited Sunday, sent the following email to the lieutenant governor and the delegates:

"Just a short ‘thanks’ for taking the time to visit our school.

We are still very much in the building stages of our international program, but I do hope that by the end of the academic year things will be up and running. At that time we will be looking for opportunities to increase our exposure to different aspects of internationalism, or “international-mindedness” as we generally refer to it.

We will be an Indian international school, and we are proud of that, however we do believe that our students would benefit from the judicious exposure to other ideas and perceptions.

Perhaps in the future there will be some scope for interaction between the state of Washington and KiiT."


The lieutenant governor also received a note from Dr. K. Sarveswara Rao, a retired scientist from the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, who provided the delegation with a minerals report from the area. The scientist also has a personal connection to the state of Washington: Dr. Rao's daughter is enrolled in the MBA program at Gonzaga University in Spokane.


There has been heavy attention to the delegation by the news media in Orissa. Photos we have received show reporters and camera crews interviewing individual members. 


One report in Outlook India covers the delegations' meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday in which they discussed a proposal for the states of Washington and Orissa to work together to establish a cruise ship operation along the state of Orissa's extensive coastline.


Another report in Orissadiary.com also covered that meeting and noted the opportunity for partnerships in sectors in steel, aluminum and energy as well as infrustructure development in ports, tourism and education.


Given the time difference, by now the delegation's schedule for Tuesday would be concluded.  The day included a meeting with a port in Dhamra, a visit to the India Institute of Technology, a meeting with the Adhunic Group of Industries and a visit to the Kalinga Bharati Institute (KIIMS).

India news media interviewing mission organizer Debadutta Dash.
Dash is the co-chair of WASITRAC.

On Wednesday the delegation is scheduled to visit the Orissa cities of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark. The Orissa portion of the mission concludes on Thursday, when the delegates will board a plane for New Delhi and begin a series of meetings at the India International Trade Fair there.