Mahama calls for university–industry collaboration to make graduates more work-ready

President John Dramani Mahama has highlighted the need for closer collaboration between universities and industry to ensure Ghanaian graduates are equipped for the demands of the job market.

The President, who is in Singapore, made the call after delivering a keynote address at the Africa Singapore Business Forum and visiting the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) on Tuesday, August 26.

He said Ghana must draw lessons from Singapore’s applied-learning model which integrates classroom knowledge with real industry experience.

“Key takeaways for me were the need to deepen university–industry collaboration to make graduates more work-ready and future-ready,” he stated in a social media post on Wednesday, August 27.

Mr. Mahama explained that SIT’s approach of embedding work into study and fostering applied research with direct business impact offers useful lessons for Ghana.

He stressed that such models would bridge the gap between academia and industry while improving graduate employability.

“We need to encourage applied learning, internships, and programmes tied to national priorities; strengthen public–private partnerships in life sciences and biotechnology; and focus research on solutions that create jobs and improve lives,” said the President.