Mr Kwamina Asomaning, Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Ghana, has advised that the country's academic curriculum be designed to meet the needs of industry players. Mr Asomaning underscored the importance of ensuring that the curriculum was in line with the needs of industry players to ensure that students were equipped to make positive contributions in the professional space. The Chief Executive made the call at the launch of Academics, Business and Administration Forum (ABAF) in Accra. 'At Stanbic Bank, we currently collaborate with some American universities to address industry needs. 'They send their students to us to elicit key challenges that need solutions. These are then factored into the training that the schools offer their students. 'The projects address specific business or management issues with the students assigned to projects based on their interests, qualifications, and experience,' he said. He said 'while the students gained invaluable practical international experience, we received high -quality professional consulting services under faculty supervision. Is it possible for academia in Ghana to adopt such an initiative?' Mr Asomaning commended the organisers for the initiative and encouraged them in their efforts to raise future-ready students. 'I want to emphasise the importance of involving students and youth in our discussions. They are the innovators of our country, and their voices and perspectives are invaluable. Let's create opportunities for them to learn, grow, and contribute to our collective effort.' Stanbic Bank over the years has shown support to academia through various initiatives. Last year, the Bank donated 50 laptops to the University of Ghana in support of the Vice Chancellor's 'One Student One Laptop' initiative. The Bank collaborated with the 'Women in STEM Ghana' to train, equip and inspire 200 girls from 23 senior high schools to learn and develop their skills and knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Many other educational institutions ha ve benefited from the Bank's STEM-focused interventions, including KNUST, Takoradi Technical University, Sunyani School of Professional Studies, and the Blessed Holy Child Academy. ABAF is a platform dedicated to the promotion of synergies between academia and industry for effective development. Source: Ghana News Agency