Interview By Angelina Cappiello

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When you think of a university that challenges every traditional notion of higher education,

Shai Rashef’s University of the People comes to mind. Since its founding in 2009, this tuition-free, fully accredited online institution has quietly transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of students worldwide — including refugees, first-generation learners, and those living in countries with limited educational opportunities.

    Sitting down with Rashef, it’s impossible not to be struck by his passion for education as a human right. “University of the People is the first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited American online university that was open in order to let anyone who deserve higher education and qualified to do so,” he explains. For Rashef, education is more than a diploma; it’s a tool for empowerment, social contribution, and global change.

   Today, the university serves 170,000 students across 213 countries, with nearly 35,000 refugees and internally displaced persons among them. These are students who might otherwise have never had a chance at higher education. “There are millions of people around the world who simply cannot attend higher education, either because it's too expensive… or because they live in countries where there aren't enough universities. We use the internet in order to offer them a job,” Rashef says.

   The university charges just $160 per course — a nominal fee compared to most higher education costs — but scholarships are available for those who cannot afford even that. Rashef beams as he recounts a recent milestone: “We just got $800,000 from Coca-Cola for scholarships for first-generation students, which we are extremely thrilled with because first-generation students are the very students we want to help.”

   We caught up with Shai Rashef in Rome — the setting for an extraordinary moment in his journey. At the time of our interview, he had just returned from a Vatican conference dedicated to refugees, where he had been personally welcomed by the Pope.

   The event, organized by Catholic universities that work closely with displaced populations, invited Rashef and the University of the People for one simple reason: his university educates more refugees than any institution in the world.

 

AI: A Partner, Not a Threat

Beyond access, Rashef is exploring another frontier:

the integration of artificial intelligence in education. While AI has stirred fear among some educators and parents — the worry that it might replace teachers or encourage cheating — Rashef sees opportunity.

    “I don't think that AI will replace the teachers. It will enable the teachers to be much better teachers and it will enable the students to study much better,” he says. AI, he explains, can take over repetitive queries — the ones about deadlines, homework, or easily accessible course material — freeing professors to focus on what they do best: personalized instruction.

   “AI can free the professors to do what they should and can do best, give personalized attention to the students,” Rashef says, his excitement palpable.

   For students, the benefits are profound. Each learner has a unique style: some are visual, some prefer discussion, and others learn best by repetition.

   AI adapts to each approach, creating a truly personalized learning experience. “Some students like by asking questions again and again. Some students would like to read the material and read it again and again… All these options are available with AI. You study the way that you study best.”

This is especially meaningful for students with learning disabilities. Rashef emphasizes the technology’s capacity to meet every learner’s needs:

   “AI can actually tailor the study process for students and students with disability will be the first ones to enjoy from it… reading the material to the students… go slower… help them with the way that they study.”

 

Teaching Students to Learn, Not Cheat

One of the most controversial topics surrounding AI in education is academic integrity. Rashef turns this on its head, arguing that AI need not lead to laziness, but can instead teach students how to think critically.

   “Everyone thinks, oh, AI, students are not going to study anymore. They're only going to cheat.

I think that the opposite is true… Teach them how to use the AI. Tell them, ask the AI to answer the question. But then analyze the answer that the AI gave you… Learn with the AI. Understand what the AI tells you.”

   He compares AI to Wikipedia — initially feared, but eventually embraced as a tool:

“When Wikipedia came, people said, oh, God, people will stop studying… Well, Wikipedia is still here… The same would happen with AI. We’re just evolving.”

   As Rashef sees it, AI doesn’t replace the critical thinking process; it enhances it, giving students the tools to engage deeply with material, evaluate sources, and develop skills that will serve them long after the classroom ends.

 

Preparing for a Future We Can’t Predict

Rashef is equally passionate about the broader purpose of education. For him, higher learning is not just about career readiness — it’s about equipping students to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

   “University should give you the knowledge, but it's way beyond the knowledge. It gives you critical thinking. It makes you a well-rounded individual. It gives you the discipline to study…

We want to give them the tools to study by themselves later on. That’s the power of education — giving you a tool to study by yourself, to be an educated person, to have critical thinking, and really be a well-rounded individual to deal with every case.”

   Even as AI transforms classrooms, Rashef is adamant that human guidance is essential.

“If you don't do it, you're just lagging behind. Eventually you will be forced to do it.”

 

   AI can assist in course design, student recruitment, retention, and career placement.

It can also allow professors to focus on individualized instruction. “We use AI to write the courses. The professors are looking at what AI produced and like, we expect the students, it’s right,

it’s not right. Does it do a good job? So it can improve the quality of the course, improve the retention of the students.”

   The result? Students are not lost in the crowd; they are empowered to learn at their pace, in their way, with guidance tailored to their needs. “It is teaching you directly how you like to learn. It’s almost like creating a superhuman, like a super educated human,” Rashef says.

 

Access, Innovation, and Impact

The University of the People continues to expand, offering programs in Business Administration, Computer Science, Health Science, Education in IT (master’s), and an MBA. It is a living testament to Rashef’s belief that education should be accessible, affordable, and transformative.

   “Educated people are the people who will contribute to society rather than being burdened on the society,” he concludes.

   With AI as a partner and a mission grounded in equity, Rashef is showing the world that learning is not a privilege — it’s a right, and technology can help make it a reality.

    For more information, visit uopeople.edu.