Odisha chief minister inaugurates UK in Odisha campaign
UK minister Desmond Swayne calls for closer partnership.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, inaugurated the ‘Celebrating Partnerships – UK in Odisha’ campaign in Bhubaneswar on 26 August. The campaign, which will run from 26-28 August, will include a number of events to highlight UK expertise and take forward the Odisha-UK partnership especially in the areas of education, urbanisation and tackling climate change. The event is being organised by the British Deputy High Commission and the British Council Kolkata.
UK Minister the Rt Hon Desmond Swayne MP, who is visiting Odisha, called for closer Odisha-UK partnership in the future. Highlighting the close partnership between the UK and Odisha during the past three decades, the Minister said:
Since 2010 the UK-India relationship has undergone an important transformation. Together we have built a stronger, deeper partnership based on mutual respect. Trade links have been strengthened, business and innovation flourishes and extreme poverty continues to fall.
Odisha is one of the most vibrant and dynamic states in India. The state government is committed to poverty reduction and we will continue to work together, sharing skills and expertise. The UK wants to be Odisha’s partner of choice on its development journey towards increased prosperity. I am confident that the best days of our relationship are yet to come.
In November 2012, the UK government announced it would end its programme of financial grant aid to India by the end of 2015. The new UK-India development partnership will instead be based on technical assistance programmes, focused on sharing skills and expertise; investments in private sector projects focused on helping the poor; and working in partnership with India on global development issues like food security and climate change.
The British Deputy High Commissioner, Scott Furssedonn-Wood is leading a delegation of UK companies specialising in urbanisation and SMART cities, climate change specialists and UK education experts to participate in the various events.
Commenting on UK in Odisha, Furssedonn-Wood said:
We are celebrating a new era in the United Kingdom’s relationship with the great state of Odisha. Thanks to good governance and social and economic development, Odisha’s future is bright. We want to be a partner for the state as it builds that future. We want more talented young Odishans to study at the UK’s world class universities.
We want more British companies – and I’ve brought 10 Great British companies with me this week – to bring their world class products and services to Odisha. We want to share more UK ideas and expertise as Odisha rises to the challenges of urbanisation and of climate change. Above all we want stronger, deeper connections between our people so the partnership between the UK and Odisha will shape our shared future for the better.
Apart from the core business, climate change and education events, the British Council will be running a festival of Shakespeare films in schools and colleges in Bhubaneswar selected especially keeping local curriculum in mind. From the BBC’s Shakespeare Collection, the Council will screen:
- The Comedy of Errors
- Romeo and Juliet
- Twelfth Night
- All’s Well That Ends Well
- As You Like It
- The Taming of the Shrew
The UK is also supporting the Jungle Crows Foundation to organise a ‘Odisha Rugby World Cup Jamboree 2015’. Eight teams of Bhubaneswar school girls and boys will play their own version of the Rugby World 2015 which will take place in England in September and October this year.
Schedule of events & media contact details
Below is a synopsis of the events during the UK In Odisha campaign along with contacts details of British High Commission and British Council personnel who will be able to provide more details on each event and assist in fixing up appointments with any of the visiting personalities/companies.
If you wish to have an appointment with the British Deputy High Commissioner, Scott Furssedonn-Wood, please contact Mainak De: 098300-70623
GREAT Conversations: The future of Indian cities - Wednesday 26 August
Venue: Xavier Institute of Management
Registration: 5.30 pm-6.00 pm
Event: 6.00 pm-7.15 pm
Contact: Suhani Arora: 096742-55884
GREAT Conversations is a lecture series organised by BDHC Kolkata which features influential Indian and British thought leaders. The aim of the lecture series is to give Indian audiences an opportunity to interact with some of the best minds in India and the UK and to provide a platform for public debate and discussion on topical issues. The theme of the Bhubaneswar edition is the future of India’s cities and the speakers are Karuna Gopal, President, Foundation for Future Cities and Bee Rowlatt, British writer and journalist.
UKTI programme and roundtable on smart cities and urbanisation - Wednesday 26 August:
Venue: Board Room, Mayfair Convention
Event: 2.30 pm - 4.30 pm
Contact: Rishikesh Chanda: 086975-66890, 098310-36725 and Sejuti Jha: 080177-70112. While the roundtable will be private Participants will be happy to talk to the Media after the event.
More than 10 UK companies will visit Bhubaneswar to attend a roundtable with Odisha government officials and have separate meetings with their Odisha counterparts. The roundtable will promote UK’s expertise in sustainable urbanisation, and showcase UK’s offering in areas like master-planning, smart urban technologies, waste and water management and climate-friendly urban development.
Profiles of Select UK Companies
Atkins is a design, engineering and project management consultancy. They design intellectual capital such as management systems and business processes; physical structures such as office towers, schools, aircraft, bridges and highways; and also advanced technology systems such as biometric scanners. Atkins was named UK Major Consultant of the Year at the NCE/ACE Awards 2014.
Building Design Partnership designs and creates inspiring places for people. With international teams of architects, engineers, designers, and urbanists, they work from studios throughout the UK, and in Ireland, the Netherlands, the UAE, India, and China. The firm has won over 750 awards for design quality from international and national bodies.
CDE Asia is a globally recognized brand in the design and manufacture of customized equipment for the quarrying, mining, recycling and waste management industries. CDE Asia also pioneered the concept of Sand & Aggregate washing in the Indian market.
Jones Lang LaSalle is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized services in real estate services and infrastructure. With annual fee revenue of $4.7 billion and gross revenue of $5.4 billion, JLL has more than 230 corporate offices and operates in 80 countries. The company was named ‘Best Property Consultancy’ in seven Asia Pacific countries at the International Property Awards Asia Pacific 2014.
Steer Davies Gleave is an independent consultancy working worldwide across the transport sector. They provide strategic advice that is underpinned by technical excellence and expert opinion. Their expertise embraces all modes of transport, providing clients with extensive and detailed insight needed to make good decisions and progress in what is often a complex planning and operating environment.
Mott MacDonald is a global management, engineering and development consultancy adding value for public and private clients on agenda-setting, next-generation projects worldwide. They have a proven track record in designing exemplary low impact urban development projects, and specialise in bringing together holistic thinking to achieve optimised engineering strategies at a master planning scale.
Ricardo AEA is a global, multi-industry consultancy for engineering, technology, project innovation and strategy. They provide analysis and solutions for major environmental challenges worldwide and have a client base of both international governments and businesses.
Seminar on UK-Odisha partnership on tackling climate change, Thursday 27 August
Venue: Crystal Hall, Mayfair Convention Centre
Registration: 10.30 AM-11.00 AM
Event: 11.00 AM-1.30 PM
Contact: Mohammed Kazim Rizvi: 088820-04173 and Haimanti Poddar: 098314-77692
Under the Change Innovation Programme (CCIP), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) will organise a seminar on “UK-Odisha partnership on tackling climate change.” This programme is a joint initiative of Ministry of Environment Forests & Climate Change, Government of India and DFID. The seminar is part of the GREAT British week in Odisha, and aims to facilitate interaction on Odisha’s priorities on climate change and low carbon growth
Education UK Seminar, Thursday 27 August
Venue: SAI International School
Event: 3.00 PM-4.30 PM
Contact: Shonali Ganguli 098365-69944
The British Council will hold an Education UK Seminar on ‘Higher Education Opportunities in the UK’. Students will learn about studying and living in the UK, student visas, scholarships and much more. Interested individuals will be able to speak to representatives of the British Council and learn more about their areas of interest, in addition to watching ‘There’s never been a better time to study in the UK’ - a short film that captures life changing experiences of UK education through the voices of students currently studying in the UK. In addition a short quiz on the UK will be held after the seminar with a chance to win prizes.
Odisha Rugby World Cup Jamboree 2015, Thursday 27 August
Venue: KIIT Grounds
Event: 2.00 PM onwards
Contact: Paul Walsh 098300-09641
The UK is supporting sports and educational life empowering charity Jungle Crows Foundation to organise a ‘Odisha Rugby World Cup Jamboree 2015’. Eight teams of Bhubaneswar school girls and boys will play their own version of the Rugby World 2015 which will take place in England in September and October this year.
GREAT Debate: Friday 28 August
Venue: KIIT University
Event: 12.00 PM-1.30 PM
Contact: Shonali Ganguli 098365-69944 and Suhani Arora 096742-55884
The GREAT Debate is an inter-college competition that celebrates the UK and India’s shared culture of vibrant intellectual discussion and debate. Organised by the British High Commission, the GREAT Debate competition is the biggest since its conception. In its third edition, the competition will be organised in ten cities – Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Jaipur. The winning team from Bhubaneswar will participate in the grand finale in New Delhi in January 2016. The winning team from the national finals will be offered a week-long study tour to the UK, which will include visits to historical sites, academic institutions and cultural events, as well as meetings with British students.
Shakespeare Lives – Film screenings
Contact: Shonali Ganguli 098365-69944
The British Council will be holding a global programme of events and activities titled Shakespeare Lives celebrating Shakespeare’s life on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his death in 2016. As part of this initiative a festival of Shakespeare films is being held in schools and colleges in Bhubaneswar. Following is the screening schedule:
| Date | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 26 August | The Comedy of Errors; 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | SAI International School |
| 26 August | Twelfth Night; 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | KIIT University |
| 27 August | All’s Well That Ends Well; 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Infosys |
| 27 August | Romeo and Juliet; 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Xavier Institute of Management |
| 28 August | As You Like It; 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM | SAI International School |
| 28 August | The Taming of the Shrew; 5:30 PM – 7:40 PM | Infosys |
| 28 August | Measure for Measure; 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Xavier Institute of Management |
Further information:
For queries contact Mainak.De
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