UBIEA Gala Dinner Bridges the Gap between Industry, Academia and Students – Professor Kommula Parasuram
University of Botswana (UB) Industrial Engineering Lecturer, Professor Kommula Parasuram, says the UB Industrial Engineers Association (UBIEA) annual gala dinner bridges the gap between industry, academia and students by encouraging connections that can lead to internships, mentorships and job opportunities.
Professor Parasuram made the remarks during UBIEA gala dinner at Block 248 Foyer on the 1st November 2025. The aim of the dinner was to foster university and industry collaboration in research and innovation, internships as well as networking opportunities for students with industry experts.
Professor Parasuram said the event facilitated knowledge exchange and allowed industry professionals to share current industry trends, challenges and technologies with students. He further highlighted that the event strengthened university – industry partnerships by fostering future collaborations in research and innovation. He noted that since its inception in 2007 the event had been successful in enhancing graduate employability.
UB Alumni and Founder of Serge 365, Mr Thabiso Ntlole, encouraged the students to be innovators, creators and entrepreneurs to create jobs instead of being job seekers. He advised the students to learn how to identify market gaps and use design thinking to develop practical and innovative solutions. Mr Ntlole called on the students to collaborate to foster broader thinking and prepare for multi-disciplinary nature of the design industry.