President John Dramani Mahama has called for stronger ties between universities and industry to better prepare Ghanaian graduates for the job market.
In a Facebook post on August, 27, 2025, President Mahama reflected on lessons from his 3-day visit to Singapore, where he delivered the opening keynote at the Africa Singapore Business Forum.
He said his tour of the Singapore Institute of Technology showed how applied learning, internships and close industry relations prepare students for work.
President Mahama said the institute’s model of integrating study with work, along with its new campus in the Punggol Digital District, shows how academia, industry and the community can connect to deliver practical training and business outcomes.
Mr Mahama also visited Biopolis, a biomedical research hub in Singapore. He noted that the facility brings together public and private institutions across the life sciences chain, from basic research to clinical development and medical technology.
“The key takeaways for me were the need to deepen university–industry collaboration to make graduates more work-ready and future-ready; the 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,” he said.
The President credited Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who served as Education Minister in his previous administration, for starting dialogue between Ghanaian institutions and industry. He said this effort should continue.
Mr Mahama thanked his Singaporean hosts, saying the exchanges at the Singapore Institute of Technology and Biopolis offered useful insights that could help speed up Ghana’s progress in higher education, innovation and healthcare.
