President John Dramani Mahama and a high-level Ghanaian delegation have undergone a series of educational engagements in Singapore, focusing on applied-learning models and university–industry collaboration.
The visit formed part of their participation in the Africa Singapore Business Forum held earlier this week.
The President, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Sam George, Education Minister, Harruna Iddrisu, Presidential Staffer Joyce Bawa Mogtari, and other officials, toured key institutions including the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Biopolis, a biomedical research hub.
In a Facebook post dated Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Mr. Mahama disclosed that the delegation benefited from insights into Singapore’s integrated approach to education and innovation.
“After delivering my opening keynote at the Africa Singapore Business Forum on Tuesday, I visited the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to learn from their applied-learning model and strong university–industry partnerships,” he stated.
He noted that SIT’s model integrates academic study with industry collaboration and applied research, aimed at producing graduates who are both work-ready and future-ready.
“SIT integrates work and study, collaborates closely with industry, and focuses on applied research that delivers business impact,” Mr. Mahama explained. “Their new campus within the Punggol Digital District exemplifies how academia, industry and the community can be tightly integrated to prepare students for the future of work.”
The President also toured Biopolis, describing it as a premier biomedical research hub that fosters collaboration across the life sciences value chain.
“Biopolis brings leading public and private institutions together across the full life-sciences R&D value chain, from basic discovery to clinical development and medical technology.
“It showcases how coordinated public–private collaboration can drive innovation and economic growth,” he said.
Reflecting on the experience, Mr. Mahama emphasized the importance of strengthening Ghana’s own education and innovation systems.
“Key takeaways for me were the need to deepen university–industry collaboration to make graduates more work-ready and future-ready.
“Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, then Minister for Education, initiated the process of understanding the needs of our institutions and industry, and this effort must be continued.”
He further stressed the need to encourage applied learning, internships, and programmes aligned with national priorities, as well as to bolster public–private partnerships in life sciences and biotechnology.
“We are grateful to our hosts at SIT and Biopolis for the insightful exchanges. We look forward to building partnerships that will help accelerate Ghana’s progress in higher education, innovation and healthcare.”
The visit marks a strategic effort to draw lessons from Singapore’s education and research ecosystem as Ghana seeks to enhance its own capacity for innovation and workforce development.
