The AUST-Abuja campus and its affiliated centers of excellence will not operate in a vacuum--the training they will provide will give students practical skills for their use in careers in business, industry, and government. Maintaining close connections with the outside world will ensure that the curriculum of AUST-Abuja is relevant to potential employers of its graduates; research conducted is relevant to the problems of the real world; funding is forthcoming; new ideas and developments are incorporated into the operations of the campus; students are able to gain meaningful internships and work experience during their time at AUST-Abuja; and business, industry, and government leaders can inspire and pass on their wisdom to Africa's next generation of leaders.

The practical relevance of the training provided at AUST-Abuja will be established and maintained at a number of levels:

• The Board of Trustees will include members from business, industry, and the public sector.
• Oversight and advisory committees established for the AUST-Abuja campus will also include members from business, industry, and the public sector.
• Faculty will have incentives to develop and maintain connections with business, industry, and the public sector, particularly with respect to designing and implementing research projects and raising the funds necessary to undertake those projects.
• A careers office will be established. This office will be responsible for developing connections with the human resources divisions within industry and government with the purpose of understanding their demands, ensuring those demands are recognized in the curriculum developed, and providing access to business and government for its students.
• Guest lecturers and adjunct faculty will come from industry and government.
• * Programs will be established to encourage alumni and alumnae to maintain an interest in the business of AUST-Abuja and its students.