3.35. Dr. Pano Kanelos - University of Austin

Dr. JP Novin welcomes Dr. Pano Kanelos - who has an extensive background in higher education and is the founding president of the University of Austin, and now a founding partner of the Athos group - to discuss the impact of AI, the future workforce, and the challenges facing higher education.Dr. Kanelos explains the founding of the University of Austin (UATX) and the creation of the AOS group, which supports new institutions with strategic planning and accreditation. He highlights UATX’s tuition-free model for its inaugural classes and outlines how the institution is designed to rethink traditional higher-ed structures.The discussion centers on Dr. Kanelos’s view that universities are “radically unprepared” for the disruption AI is creating, as traditional knowledge-economy education becomes increasingly obsolete. He argues that the current accreditation system is a major barrier to innovation. As solutions, Dr. Kanelos proposes creating a new global accreditor focused on innovation, reducing the bachelor’s degree to three years to lower costs, and emphasizing the value of a liberal arts education—preparing students to “outthink the machines” by strengthening the mind.