Il Sole 24 Ore: OPIT reaches its first milestone and celebrates its graduates in Applied Data Science & AI

Source:

• Il Sole 24 Ore, published on March 24th, 2025

Just two years after its launch, the online and European-accredited academic institution, whose rector is former minister Francesco Profumo, confirms its growth with over 300 students from 78 countries and an international faculty of excellence.

OPIT (Open Institute of Technology), the European accredited academic institution (www.opit.com), has achieved its first milestone since it entered the higher education market in 2023: 40 students from 6 continents have completed the first master’s degree in Applied Data Science & AI, whose classes began in September two years ago.

The graduation ceremony took place at the central Casino Maltese in Valletta, Malta, where OPIT is regularly accredited, in the presence of Francesco Profumo and Riccardo Ocleppo, respectively Rector and founder, the Maltese Minister Clifton Grima (Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation), and Rose Anne Cuschieri, CEO of the MFHEA authority. In addition to the graduates, the guests included some of the internationally renowned professors of the academic institution, such as Pierluigi Casale, Tomislav Vazdar, Art Sedighi and Francesco Derchi.

The students’ thesis projects have developed on innovative topics: the use of large language models for the creation of chatbots in the ed-tech field, the digitalization of customer support processes in the paper and non-woven industry, up to personal data protection systems and the use of Artificial Intelligence for environmental sustainability, predictive models for the prevention of disasters linked to climate change, the fight against money laundering, new perspectives of generative AI in the legal field (with a focus on Italian startups such as Giurimatrix). All of this has also been developed thanks to the launch of strategic collaborations with partner companies such as Neperia, Sintica, Cosmico, Dylog, Buffetti Finance and Hype, demonstrating the concrete approach and strong practical component that characterize the OPIT training experience.

“Today we celebrate the first chapter of a journey that will continue to grow with a consolidation of the current educational offering, new courses, doctoral programs, applied research and increasingly advanced training opportunities. We are only at the beginning, but this day demonstrates that OPIT is already a consolidated reality in the international academic panorama and a point of reference for those who want to be protagonists of the digital future” – declared the Rector Francesco Profumo.

With two degrees already started in September 2023 – a three-year degree in Modern Computer Science and the aforementioned master’s degree in Applied Data Science & AI – and four more starting in September 2024 (a three-year degree in Digital Business, and the master’s degrees in Enterprise Cybersecurity, Applied Digital Business and Responsible Artificial Intelligence, which brings the total offer to 6 degrees), today OPIT is a point of reference for those who intend to take on the challenges of a job market increasingly oriented towards artificial intelligence and technology in the broad sense. Entirely in English and online, OPIT is enhanced by a high-profile international teaching staff, coming from leading universities and companies at a global level: 45 professors with international experience in both the academic and business worlds. Many of them have collaborated with Amazon, the European Parliament, NASA, Philips and numerous other leading companies, demonstrating the approach based on excellence that the institution has pursued since its foundation.

As part of the development roadmap, OPIT is completing the evolution of its educational offering. Alongside the training programs already underway, 2025 will also be the year in which the research area will develop, paving the way, in the coming years, for doctoral programs and aligning itself even more with what universities around the world are already doing. In particular, OPIT has already started applied research projects with some companies on the topics on which its teaching is based: AI, computer science, cloud computing and cyber security. This year, a pre-degree Foundation Program will also be introduced, designed to provide solid academic foundations to aspiring students who do not meet the admission requirements for three-year degrees.

• Il Sole 24 Ore