Over 650 students and 150 graduates from 92 countries, with an average age of 30 and, in most cases, an already established career. This is the profile of the international community at OPIT – Open Institute of Technology, a European-accredited academic institution that inaugurated its fourth academic year (2026/2027) at the National Automobile Museum in Turin on 17th October, in the presence of founder Riccardo Ocleppo, Rector and former Minister Francesco Profumo, and international guests.
The ceremony, which brought together nearly 300 people including students and partners both in person and online, featured interventions by Barbara Cominelli (one of the top 50 women in tech in Europe, currently Partner at Cysero AI), UK contributor Chris Stokel-Walker (journalist and author for The Times, The Economist, BBC, Bloomberg, and Wired), and Hamilton Mann (President of the Artificial Integrity Institute and winner of the Thinkers50 Digital Thinking Award, among others), speaking respectively on AI & Business, AI & Education, and AI & Integrity.
The discussion delved into some of the main challenges posed by artificial intelligence to the worlds of education and work. Barbara Cominelli focused on the transformation of businesses and professional skills through new organizational models, creativity, and critical thinking in the AI era. Chris Stokel-Walker examined the relationship between artificial intelligence and learning, questioning the actual ability of these technologies to improve education and highlighting the risks associated with passive usage, which could weaken students’ cognitive abilities. Hamilton Mann instead focused attention on the role of ethics, responsibility, and integrity in the development of AI—fundamental elements for building sustainable and reliable innovation.
The debate then expanded to the future of human skills, the limits of algorithmic decision-making autonomy, and the ability of artificial intelligence to democratize access to opportunities or, conversely, exacerbate inequalities. It was then the turn of three OPIT alumni to take the floor, each delivering a presentation linked to the topics of the previous speakers, but from a student’s perspective.
Setting the backdrop for the event was the future of university education, situated between the artificial intelligence revolution and the need for educational models that are increasingly compatible with the needs of those who study and work simultaneously.
This theme was confirmed by data collected and analyzed by OPIT. According to the OECD Trends in Adult Learning report, 40% of adults in OECD countries participate in learning pathways every year, but one in four encounters concrete obstacles—mainly due to a lack of time related to work or family commitments, costs, and schedules that are poorly compatible with daily life. According to Eurostat, in 2024, 25.4% of young Europeans aged between 15 and 29 worked while pursuing formal education. Italy, at just 6.7%, ranks 22nd out of the 27 EU countries, well below the European average.
“Artificial intelligence is radically changing the world of work and education. Today, universities face an unprecedented challenge: preparing students for professions we do not yet know and to solve problems we are currently unable even to predict,” said Francesco Profumo, Rector of OPIT, in his opening address to the students.
“In this scenario, the greatest risk is thinking that artificial intelligence can replace our ability to reason. The more machines produce answers, the more we must learn to ask the right questions. The more powerful algorithms become, the more indispensable critical thinking, judgment, and a sense of responsibility become. A seemingly convincing answer can be wrong, and a technologically efficient decision can be unjust.
“This is why universities must teach young people to use AI without relinquishing their own intelligence, questioning its results and understanding the consequences of the decisions they make. Higher education must evolve toward a model of continuous learning, because the skills acquired today will need to be updated multiple times throughout one’s professional life. Our job is to train people capable of governing technological change rather than being subjected to it. The future should not merely be predicted: we must give new generations the tools to build it.”
The importance of flexibility also emerges from the First National Survey on Online University Students, conducted on 15,000 students from Italian online universities accredited by MIUR (Ministry of University and Research). For 84.5% of respondents, the opportunity to reconcile study, work, and private life was decisive in choosing an online path, while 75.5% highlighted the flexibility of schedules and locations. 70% consider online education the only viable option to continue their studies, and 20.8% state that, without this option, they would have abandoned university altogether.
“When we envisioned OPIT, the starting point was to build, from scratch, a university designed for those who need to balance studying with a life already full of commitments,” said Riccardo Ocleppo, Founder and Director of OPIT.
“Our students come from over 100 countries, have an average age of 30, and in the vast majority of cases are already working—often full-time—in technical or managerial roles that they want to strengthen with advanced skills in artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, or digital business.
“For them, time is the scarcest resource: they cannot afford to pause a career to return to the classroom, nor can they relocate to another country for weeks or months. That is why our offering rests on two pillars: on one hand, a top-tier international faculty and a highly practical approach oriented toward the skills the job market truly demands; on the other hand, a smart delivery method designed for those who need to follow classes without sacrificing teaching quality or academic rigour.
“Today, with artificial intelligence, accessing information has become extremely simple, but the value of a rigorous university path lies in the ability to build solid knowledge, method, and critical spirit while addressing the most complex aspects of a discipline. And in a world where skills become obsolete at an ever-increasing pace, even the traditional model of studying first and working later must evolve: education will increasingly accompany an entire professional career, without requiring people to put their lives on pause.”
Founded in 2023, OPIT currently offers six Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs (Computer Science, Applied Data Science & AI, Digital Business, Enterprise Cybersecurity, Digital Business & Innovation, and Responsible Artificial Intelligence), a PhD in AI, and a Foundation Program, with courses recognised and accredited at the European level. The educational offer, conducted entirely online and in English, draws on 50 professors with international experience in both academia and the corporate world, aiming to respond to the growing demand for advanced technological skills in the labor market.