23/10/2026
Absa CHALLENGES ICU STUDENTS TO EMBRACE AI INNOVATION
Absa Bank Zambia is encouraging students to embrace artificial intelligence and innovation through its Gen-AI-thon, aimed at strengthening cybersecurity, improving banking services and equipping young people with practical skills for the job market.
Speaking during the engagement, Absa Digital Partnership Specialist Taonga Banda said the bank was strengthening collaboration between industry and academia through memoranda of understanding with the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) and ZCAS. She said the partnerships seek to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry demands.
Banda also highlighted the bank's Ready to Work programme, which encourages students to acquire practical skills beyond their academic qualifications to improve their competitiveness in the job market.
Meanwhile, Absa Head of Forensics Corrine Mulele challenged students to distinguish themselves through innovation, confidence and problem-solving. She urged them to set clear career goals and begin working towards them early, noting that qualifications alone may not be enough to stand out in an increasingly competitive job market.
The hackathon, themed Build Smarter, Bank Safer, Scale What Works, focuses on customer experience, operational efficiency, fraud prevention and digital security. Absa aims to develop ten prototypes, with two solutions expected to advance towards proof of concept, giving participants an opportunity to turn their ideas into practical solutions for the banking sector.
By Chipo TK Phiri,
ICU TV.
