Christian Rebernik Of Tomorrow University: 5 Things That Federal, State & Local Governments Can Do To Help Improve The Educational System
An Interview With Jake Frankel
Greater involvement of parents and communities
Collaboration between parents, schools, and communities can help to better support students. Joint projects and events that involve parents in their children’s learning may improve educational outcomes. One example of this are the parent-child programs offered in many European countries.
As a part of our interview series about 5 Things That Federal, State & Local Governments Can Do To Help Improve The Educational System, I had the pleasure to interview Christian Rebernik.
Christian is Co-Founder & CEO of Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences. Before he founded Vivy, a personal health platform for 20mio people, helped to build N26, a unicorn Bank as MD, was CTO at Parship, created award winning apps like ShareTheMeal for the UN World Food Programme and helped Awin to become a global affiliate network. Christian is Advisor to the GreenTech Alliance, Member of the board of advisors to Sprk Global and Tomorrow Bank. He supports startups as a mentor and angel investor. Christian was born in Austria and studied business and information science.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
I started my path in a somewhat unconventional way when, in my school, I founded a school magazine at the age of 14, to help pupils express their views and get connected. With this, I developed a curiosity about technology, life, and business. Back then it was the early days of computers and I taught myself how to edit and publish a paper, as well as sell ads, manage a team and distribute the magazine. For this, it made sense to study economics. Yet, when I was enrolled, it felt too theoretical and too far removed from the real world. In a side hustle, I started to use my skills to service companies with web solutions, which eventually turned out to become a real business. This led me to drop out of university, but also deepened my passion for solving problems with technology. The internet and software was a fascinating tool to solve problems in new and often very scalable ways. Based on my skills in technology over the time, I had the possibility to work for major companies, at the beginning as a developer and later as a manager. I became CTO at Scout24 Austria, then Parship, later Awin (Europe’s largest affiliate network) or eventually at N26. At N26 I was also becoming MD, and responsible for the complete product development, design and security team, building a complete core banking system and acquiring a banking license. With so many different industries over time, now in hindsight it all makes sense. I have a true passion for problem-solving and impact. And my wish to have a positive impact on the planet grew substantially with me becoming a father of now 3 kids and looking into the future.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
One of the most interesting stories that has happened to me since the beginning of my career is closely related to my passion for technology. Over the years, technology has become an important component of my life. Since then, it has been significant for me to give back to people through my companies and products. One example of this is Vivy, a project where we give users insights into their health data. By integrating 37 health insurance companies, we have managed to give our users a more profound understanding of their health. Through this process, I have come to realize how critical it is to create added value. For me, it’s not just about using technology, but about using it in a way that brings real benefits to people. I am motivated to develop products and services that improve people’s lives and help them achieve their goals.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes, I have been working on ‘Tomorrow University’ since 2020. It is a next generation university that offers degree programmes for the change makers of tomorrow. The idea behind this project came from the realization that there is a lot of catching up to do in terms of digitalisation in the education sector, which was particularly noticeable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many students and pupils weren’t able to physically visit their educational institutions and had to resort to remote learning. Almost the entire education system suffered greatly from the lack of digital infrastructure. ‘Tomorrow University’ addresses this issue by combining the latest technologies with state-of-the art learning sciences and optimizes it for online learning to achieve educational goals. Through our digital learning platform, learners can flexibly organize their studies and learn with high-quality educational content. By integrating cutting-edge tech into the learning processes, we can ensure that education is accessible to all and no one is left behind due to a lack of digital solutions.
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
‘Tomorrow University’ stands out for its interdisciplinary and future-oriented approach to education. This means that it focuses on excellent content in collaboration with leading universities as well as on innovative topics such as artificial intelligence, sustainability and digital transformation. In this way, it provides the ideal preparation for students to face the challenges of the modern world. In addition, the university attracts renowned professors and experts from various fields who have extensive knowledge and experience. Through partnerships with companies and organizations, learners can directly apply their learned skills in the real world. The students benefit from our modern, technological learning environment.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. From your point of view, how would you rate the results of the US education system?
I would rate the results of the US education system as mixed. On the one hand, there are impressive universities that are known worldwide for their excellence and produce successful graduates from any field. These educational institutions offer a wide range of degree programmes and give students access to world-renowned professors and research institutions.
On the other hand, tuition fees are generally very pricey, making access to education difficult for parts of the population. This creates social inequality, as financial resources are often decisive for educational opportunities. Furthermore, the traditional teaching model, which is mainly based on pure knowledge transfer, leads to less focus on practical applications and the promotion of creative and critical thinking. In a rapidly changing world where innovation and adaptability are of great importance, the education system must empower students to adapt to new challenges.
Can you identify 5 areas of the US education system that are going really great?
The US education system offers a wide range of courses and fields of study. There are reputable higher education institutions, the system is designed for inclusivity away from financial constraints, there is local flexibility in curriculum and education policy and an emphasis on socialization and common schooling.
Can you identify the 5 key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
Ensuring equal opportunities for all students, regardless of background or socio-economic status, is one critical aspect of improving the US education system. Furthermore, investments should be made to ensure teachers are qualified and supported. In addition to updating and modernizing curricula, assessment practices and school funding should be improved to ensure greater equity.
At Tomorrow University, we address these points, e.g. with focus on practical relevance and the latest technologies in our curricula to support our learners build careers for life. The combination of a modern learning platform designed for online learning and a global community integrating leading employers, providing mastery learning ensures a bright future.
How is the US doing with regard to engaging young people in STEM? Can you suggest three ways we can increase this engagement?
I would propose organizing events, workshops, or programs offering young people their first hands-on experience in STEM. Mentoring programs can also be crucial in getting young people excited about STEM and increasing their engagement. Working with mentors from industry or academia allows students to learn from proven experts. Promoting extracurricular activities and clubs can also help increase young people’s interest. Setting up STEM clubs and competitions allows students to develop their own projects, apply their knowledge and learn and share experiences with other like-minded people.
Do you think it is the role of our educational system to prepare young people to enter the job market and labor force? If so, what can be done to better prepare young people for their future careers?
I absolutely believe that it is the responsibility of our education system to prepare young people for the labor market and the labor force. In an ever-changing and globalized world, we need to ensure that our graduates have the necessary skills and qualifications to be successful in their careers. To accomplish this, Tomorrow University relies on practice-relevant training, a more flexible educational environment, comprehensive career guidance and mentoring programs, among other things. Further, with the 21st century skills, we prepare our learners for the jobs of today, but also for the majority of jobs which might not even exist today.
This is the central question of our interview. Based on your research and expertise, can you please suggest “5 Things That Federal, State & Local Governments Can Do To Help Improve The Educational System?”
As a co-founder of ‘Tomorrow University’, I have worked extensively on how to improve our education system. These are my most pressing suggestions:
- Foster Digitalization
Modern technologies and digital devices have the potential to revolutionize learning. It is crucial that students know how to use the devices and learn how to use them in a meaningful way. Norway is a good example of successful technology integration, where almost all schools have access to modern devices and smart boards and students actively work with digital learning platforms.
2. Increase cross border learning and collaboration
With the world becoming more connected, while we must act local, we must collaborate and think global. Especially looking at global topics like sustainability, clean energy, fake news, we must not limit ourselves to a specific region. For this, we need to support the creation of an education system which connects different countries, standardize quality standards and recognition of credits.
3. Invest in Artificial Intelligence, Innovation and Ethics in education
The latest development of artificial intelligence did show the large impact AI will play on the world. We are yet in an early understanding of the benefits and risks. AI has the potential to be a great tool for learning and helping generations to build a better world. We need to substantially invest into deep understanding as well as the implementation of new technologies for learning.
4. Promoting creative development
Creativity and innovative thinking are essential skills for meeting the challenges of the modern world. Federal, state and local governments can support the development of these abilities by providing space for creative activities and by including courses in the curriculum that foster students’ creativity. One example of a similar approach is the “Reggio Emilia” method from Italy, which aims to foster children’s creative and independent thinking skills.
5. Greater involvement of parents and communities
Collaboration between parents, schools, and communities can help to better support students. Joint projects and events that involve parents in their children’s learning may improve educational outcomes. One example of this are the parent-child programs offered in many European countries.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” These words stem from the Greek philosopher Sokrates and express very aptly that education is not purely quantitative and is not about overfilling the students’ head with knowledge. Rather, it is about inspiring enthusiasm for learning and helping students discover their individual talents and strengths to find their own path.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I would be honored to have lunch with Malala Yousafzai. She is an extraordinary person and an inspiration to people worldwide. She has stood up for the right to education and gender justice and has not given up despite her own horrific experiences. Her determination has helped raise awareness of inequalities in the education system. As a co-founder of Tomorrow University, which advocates for access to quality education for everyone, I would be honored to learn from Malala’s knowledge.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Your readers can follow our work online on various platforms, on my LinkedIn profile and the university’s official page on LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest news, updates, and events. Here, we share insights into our programs, student success stories and relevant articles from the world of business and education. On Facebook and Instagram, we regularly share posts about upcoming events, guest speakers, study programs and campus life. Our university’s own blog, for example, contains current articles, opinion pieces and research findings around education, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
Christian Rebernik Of Tomorrow University: 5 Things That Federal, State & Local Governments Can Do… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.