The absence of an academia-industry harmony results in an increasing skills gap in the workforce, which has slowed down the desired pace for a knowledge-based economic development, said Sameer Sattar, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).

"Although we have talked about it in the past many times, this linkage has still not been fully developed due to our conventional educational system, where theory dominates over practice," he made this comment at a seminar today.

The DCCI organised the seminar on "Industry-academia linkage: employability of graduates in the changing global context" in the capital.

The industry-academia linkage is instrumental in creating a skilled and industry-oriented workforce, he said.

It ensures a workforce ready with specialised skills set for the relevant industries, Sattar added.

Education Minister Dipu Moni and Nasreen Afroz, executive chairman of the National Skills Development Authority, also spoke at the event.