News
Security vs privacy: OU receives £450k to investigate
Privacy and security have always had a controversial relationship. On one hand security requires the collection of information about citizens, but on the other, it can be seen as infringement of their privacy. Dr Kirstie Ball, Reader in Surveillance and Organisation at The Open University, has received funding …
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Dr Kirstie Ball
Surveillance, Privacy and Security
Increasing Resillience in Surveillance Societies
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
Iconic new images of the ‘Pillars of Creation’ captured by Herschel space observatory
The European Space Agency’s Herschel Space Observatory has captured stunning images of one of the ‘Pillars of Creation’ providing new views of star birth in this iconic region, 17 years after the Hubble telescope originally observed the region. The ‘Pillars of Creation’ form a small part …
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Herschel Space Observatory
Stargazing on OpenLearn
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
Media Relations Officer
Katy Shelton
+44 (0)01908 33272
OU telescope captures breakthrough image of supernova’s status
A robotic astronomical telescope operated by The Open University on the Spanish island of Mallorca was responsible for a one-off image of a supernova, leading to crucial information on the nature of these exploding stars.The image was taken by a PhD student who happened to be “in the right place at the right …
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Astrophysical Journal Letters
The OU's Telescope, PIRATE
Open Research Online
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Kath Middleditch
+44 (0)1908 655026
Today’s gaming enthusiast is older than you think, finds Open University research
Those struggling to think of a last-minute Christmas gift for their middle-aged relatives might be intrigued to know they may prefer a digital game this year, rather than a nice pair of slippers. Research carried out by a PhD student at The Open University, into how people engaged with digital games, found that the …
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Institute of Educational Technology
Jennie Lee research labs at the OU
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Christine Drabwell
+44 (0) 01908 658673
Vice-Chancellor welcomes committee's emphasis on widening participation
The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee has published its Twelfth Report of Session 2010–12, Government reform of Higher Education today. Martin Bean, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, which was one of the only institutions to give oral evidence to the Committee earlier this year, said: “I …
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Paula Feery
+44 (0) 1908 652580
All your Open University news in one tidy place with our new App
A clever little App from The Open University signposts users to the latest news in all directions, with its launch this week. The OU News App – designed to pool several areas of news – is the first time The Open University has devised an App for both iOS and android devices. It follows the successful …
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OU News App on Apple Store
OU News App on Android Market
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Christine Drabwell
+44 (0) 01908 658673
Pelagios: An Information Superhighway for the Ancient World
The Open University is leading a project that aims to connect Ancient World resources online. By providing guidelines and plans for annotating, cataloguing and visualising references to ancient places, Pelagios2 assists people working with the ancient world to make their resources more discoverable, accessible and …
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Pelagios project
Previous Pelagios press announcement
Dr Elton Barker
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
Contact
Dr Elton Barker
Open University research advances cancer treatment
A new way to dramatically improve the cancer-killing abilities of clinical cancer treatment has been pioneered by a team of researchers from The Open University, together with colleagues at the National Medical Laser Centre. Current cancer treatments include photodynamic therapy (PDT), which uses a combination of …
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Journal article
Dr Jon Golding
Open University research
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
Socio-economic dynamics are key to addressing climate change
Commenting on a study published today in Nature Climate Change, Open University scientist Dr Neil Edwards says that the achievement of the widely accepted 2°C limit for climate change predominantly depends on complex socio-economic dynamics.The study, led by Joeri Rogelj of ETH Zurich, explores possible scenarios …
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Article on Nature Climate Change
Research article in Nature Climate Change
ERMITAGE project
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Kath Middleditch
+44 (0)1908 655026
Open University research provides insight into nerve function
Research by The Open University has shed new light on how peripheral nerves accommodate normal limb movement. The study, published in the Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System (JPNS), will be of interest to clinicians working to repair damaged nerves and physiotherapists treating nerve-related problems. Dr James …
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JPNS
Dr James Phillips
ORO
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
Open University identifies ancient depiction of childbirth found at Etruscan site in Tuscany
Image is first of its kind ever found in an Etruscan excavationAn archaeological excavation at Poggio Colla, the site of a 2,700-year-old Etruscan settlement in Italy’s Mugello Valley, has turned up a surprising and unique find: two images of a woman giving birth to a child.Researchers from the Mugello Valley …
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
Southern Methodist University
Victoria Winkelman
The eyes have it: computer-inspired creativity
Constraints on creativity imposed by computer-aided design (CAD) tools are being overcome, thanks to a novel system that incorporates eye-tracking technology.Designing with Vision, a system devised by researchers at The Open University and the University of Leeds, is breaking down rigid distinctions between human and …
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
University of Leeds Press Office
Paula Gould
+44(0)113 343 8059
Open University joins European space search for dark matter
The Open University is one of nine UK universities involved in a European Space Agency mission to search for dark energy.The mission, called Euclid, was selected yesterday by the European Space Agency and will comprise one of the largest telescopes in space when it is launched. The mission will take precise …
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Faculty of Science
Centre for Electronic Imaging
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Lauren Hutton
+44 (0) 1908 655614
Open University student discovery changes understanding of Stonehenge
A group of students from The Open University has unearthed evidence which may change our understanding of Stonehenge.Led by David Jacques, a tutor at The Open University, a number of OU students undertook a small-scale excavation near to Stonehenge which uncovered a large number of artefacts from the middle of the …
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Open University Faculty of Arts
Research at The Open University
OU student discovery featured in The Independent
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Lauren Hutton
+44 (0) 1908 655614
Revelations from Mercury - expert comment on the first findings of NASA's MESSENGER probe
Commenting on the first findings by NASA’s MESSENGER probe in orbit around Mercury, The Open University's Dr David Rothery said:“Mercury is full of surprises. From the views glimpsed during MESSENGER’s 2008 and 2009 flybys it was apparent that vast tracts of the planet are covered by lava flows. …
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Dr David Rothery
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Lauren Hutton
+44 (0) 1908 655614
OU develops new full-text search engine to aid research scholars
The Open University’s Knowledge Media Institute (KMi) has developed an innovative new search facility called CORE - COnnecting REpositories - to help academics, researchers and students navigate related papers from across UK Open Access repositories. Current search systems, such as Google Scholar, used to find …
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CORE
JISC
Online Research Online
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Christine Drabwell
+44 (0) 01908 658673
Open University partners with Waitrose to support employee development
The Open University has joined forces with Waitrose to help employees achieve their career aspirations. PartnerLearn, a new tool designed to provide personal and team development, was launched by the Waitrose Learning & Development Team in partnership with The Open University and Ashridge Business School.Employees …
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
Press Officer, Corporate, Waitrose
Suzanne Cronin
+44(0) 1344 824006
Africa education project receives global accolade
TESSA (Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa), a project working to increase the number of skilled teachers in African schools, has received global recognition with an award from The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE). Receiving $20,000 as a prize, the project is one of six winners in 2011 and was praised …
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TESSA project
The Wise Awards
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
Media contact (2)
Kath Middleditch
+44 (0)1908 655026
Shock & Awe: The Story of Electricity
Broadcast 06 October 2011, BBC Four, 9pmElectricity – more often in the news for rising prices than how it sustains our way of life. Shock & Awe: The Story of Electricity, an Open University and BBC partnership, will tell the story of our quest to master this mysterious force.Presenter Professor Jim …
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Watch the trailer
Faculty of Mathematics, Computing and Engineering
Design, Development, Environment and Materials
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Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
Great British design
Broadcast date: beginning of October (TBC), BBC Two Britain is famous for many great engineering achievements, including the Great Western Railway, the jet engine and Hovercraft. How to Build, an Open University and BBC partnership, will showcase three current British engineering projects, all featuring highly …
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Engineering the Future
Faculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology
Media Contact
Liezel Tipper
+44 (0) 1908 654573
