The Founding President and Executive Dean of Nobel International Business School, Professor Kweku Asuahene-Gima, has called for collaboration between academia and the companies to bridge critical gaps in the industry. 

He said there was the need to start with a demand-driven approach to research and this could address problems of corporate bodies that were losing revenue.

Professor Asuahene-Gima was speaking at the Second Ghana Business Summit, Exhibition and Awards, on the theme: “Driving Corporate Entrepreneurship via Industry-Academia Partnership.”

The Summit is to create a platform to recognise individuals and companies that played a significant role in the growth and development of the business sector while recognising the key functions within the sector to promote growth and sustainability.

The awards seek to celebrate achievement, innovation, and brilliance within the business environment.

Prof. Asuahene-Gima said although there were collaborations between a number of universities and companies, more strategic coordination was critical to improve on their operations.

“Corporate Ghana does not appreciate the skill and expertise available in the universities and perhaps the universities are not very good at marketing their expertise to corporate Ghana,” he added.

He said the universities must, themselves, be entrepreneurial to enable them to collaborate with companies or industry players through industry-related research.

He said universities must be opened to corporate ways of doing things and must recognise the value of experience.

On the continuous funding of public universities, Prof. Asuahene-Gima said government should re-consider funding systems of those universities.

He said universities should be funded based on their performance, especially how many jobs students create after graduation and how many new businesses were developed.

“Their funding should not be based on how many students enroll in their universities,” he added.