KIIT & KISS Partner with UNESCO MGIEP for Online Course on Social and Emotional Learning

KIIT & KISS sign a partnership agreement with the UNESCO MGIEP in New Delhi, India to deploy the Self-directed Emotional Learning for Empathy and Kindness (SEEK) online Course for students and Faculty.

The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) based in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India signed a partnership agreement with the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) to provide the online Self-directed Emotional Learning for Empathy and Kindness (SEEK) course for KIIT-KISS staff and students in a phased manner.

 KIIT Deemed to be a University and KISS Deemed to be a University will be among the first universities worldwide to implement the MGIEP SEEK course, which has also been endorsed by the University Grants Commission, Government of India.

The course, based on the Compassionate Integrity Training, is developed by UNESCO MGIEP in and Life University, USA. The course seeks to build 21st century emotional intelligence skills and contribute to fulfilling the goals of the India National Education Policy to impart social and emotional learning to create engaged global citizens.

The course takes approximately 40 hours to complete and is made of 10 skills in 3 series:

Series I: Self-cultivation - The first step toward improving relationships with others and making a positive impact in communities is developing an increased level of personal well-being.

Series II: Relating to Others - turns to focus outward in order to improve relationships with others.

Series III: Engaging in Systems - Compassion by itself is not enough for ethical and effective decision-making; it must be conjoined with critical thinking and an understanding of reality. Gaining insight into the interdependent nature of our reality can be empowering and can lead to a deeper connection with others and the world around us.

The online, self-directed course is hosted on the UNESCO MGIEP FramerSpace indigenously developed online learning platform. Learners participate in a dedicated Community of Practice including live Masterclasses and Q&A sessions, and full-featured discussion forums. Completed learners receiver a globally-recognised Certificate from UNESCO MGIEP and Life University (USA).

The signing ceremony was held at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi and graced by eminent dignitaries, including Dr. Anantha Duraiappah, Director, UNESCO MGIEP;  Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha and Founder, KIIT & KISS and Shri Satya Tripathi, Chancellor - KISS Deemed to be University, Former Assistant Secretary-General of United Nations, and, Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in addition to representatives from many embassies in Delhi and UN offices.

Furthermore, the Art of Giving, a philosophical initiative of Dr. Achyuta Samanta, also joined hands with UNESCO MGIEP for the observation of the World Kindness Day on 13 November 2021, in support of the Institute’s global Kindness Matters campaign that has so far collected over one million acts of kindness. Art of Giving will be supporting UNESCO MGIEP to collect kindness stories that highlight the good deeds in the community and focus on power of positivity.

The Hon’ble Director of UNESCO MGIEP, Dr Anantha Duraiappah said, SEEK is about finding yourself, being comfortable with yourself and being kind. With this, all else in your life journey will fall in place. I welcome the partnership with KIIT-KISS and look forward to their staff and students taking this resiliency-based course and truly hope they find it useful for cultivating greater self-compassion and contributing to the development of more peaceful and sustainable societies.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha and Founder, KIIT & KISS said, “KIIT & KISS are based on the ethos of Compassion, Kindness and Humanitarianism. We are glad to partner with UNESCO MGIEP to equip our students and staff with Emotional Intelligence skills that help in building emotional resilience, especially when humanity is passing through testing times."

Shri Satya Tripathi, Chancellor – KISS Deemed to be University, Former Assistant Secretary-General of United Nations, and, Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said, The SEEK course will be deployed for 1,000 Faculty and Staff and 11,000 students in Phase 1 with all future students undertaking the course for credits in 2022.

About UNESCO MGIEP

UNESCO MGIEP focuses on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 towards education for building peaceful and sustainable societies across the world by developing programmes that promote social and emotional learning, innovate digital pedagogies and empower the youth.

About UNESCO MGIEP’s SEEK Course

UNESCO MGIEP has partnered with Life University (USA) to create the Self-directed Emotional Learning for Empathy and Kindness (SEEK) – an online course that cultivates skills such as empathy, mindfulness, and compassion so youth are well-equipped to contribute towards the development of peaceful and sustainable societies.

Compassionate Integrity Training (CIT) was developed by the Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics at Life University (USA) and covers a range of skills from self-regulation and self-compassion to compassion for others and engagement with complex systems. UNESCO MGIEP has partnered with Life University to develop SEEK, a self-directed/self-paced version of CIT on UNESCO MGIEP's indigenously developed, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant online learning platform, Framer Space. The course provides support for learners through a dedicated Community of Practice including live Master classes and Q&A sessions, and full-featured discussion forums.