The Open University

AI sheds new light on dinosaur footprints

20 February 2026

A new publication introduces a transformative AI approach to studying dinosaur footprints, offering researchers (and enthusiasts!) an objective way to classify tracks and investigate the conditions in which dinosaurs lived. The paper, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), discussed how using an unsupervised neural network, the team — including Dr Gregor Hartmann of […]

OU researchers lead international advances in planetary protection

19 February 2026

Open University researchers are leading international advances in planetary protection, helping ensure that space exploration is safe, sustainable, and scientifically rigorous. Their research is featured in a new thematic issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A which brings together the latest international perspectives on preventing contamination in space and safeguarding Earth from extraterrestrial […]

OU and International Rescue Committee launch online Healing Classrooms course to support refugee learners

19 February 2026

A new online CPD course designed to help teachers support refugee and asylum‑seeking students has been launched on The Open University’s OpenLearn Create platform, following a year‑long collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The course forms part of the IRC’s Healing Classrooms programme, a free, trauma‑informed professional development initiative that equips educators with practical […]

Report into teachers’ perceptions of boys and young men launches

16 February 2026

A report into perceptions of boys and young men has been published, aiming to consider the way they are seen by teachers, particularly those from working-class backgrounds. The research, titled Dignity, respect and meaningful engagement with boys in the classroom was co-authored by Dr Jon Rainford, Senior Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies at The […]

The Open University launches free financial literacy course for secondary schools in partnership with the Harrison Foundation

13 February 2026

The Open University (OU), in partnership with the Harrison Foundation, has launched a new free financial literacy resource for 15 to 17-year-old secondary school students, designed to support teachers delivering statutory financial education within PSHE. Hosted on the OU’s OpenLearn Create platform, the course, Managing My Money For Young Adults, provides a structured five-hour programme […]

Launch of the Amar bari, amar jibon [My home, my life] Report at the House of Lords

New study calls for action on inadequate housing facing long-established older Bangladeshi Communities in East London

9 February 2026

A landmark, pioneering study into the lived housing experiences of older Bangladeshi adults has revealed how lifelong housing inequalities intensify in later life and calls for action to tackle the housing, care and health inequities uncovered. The report – Amar bari, amar jibon [My home, my life] – led by researchers at The Open University […]

The Open University launches new toolkit to support parents of neurodivergent children as research reveals families feel overwhelmed and under-resourced

9 February 2026

With neurodiversity diagnoses rising across the UK, new research from The Open University (OU) reveals that many parents of neurodivergent children are struggling to find clear, trustworthy and practical guidance, despite actively searching for support. The survey of 1,000 UK parents of neurodivergent children found that while 70% say they have a trusted place to […]

OU academics among Fellows appointed by National Academy for Mathematical Sciences

4 February 2026

The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences (AcadMathSci) has appointed its inaugural cohort of Fellows, including two academics from The Open University (OU), with a vision to bring together the UK’s strongest mathematicians to help solve some of the nation’s biggest challenges. Professor Gwyneth Stallard OBE and Professor June Barrow-Green from the OU joined the cohort […]

Jennie Lee (copyright The Open University)

Renowned sculptor appointed by Milton Keynes City Council to honour Open University pioneer Jennie Lee

2 February 2026

Milton Keynes City Council has selected renowned Artist Andy Edwards to create a new statue in the city centre to celebrate the life of Jennie Lee, the trailblazing figure who played a pivotal role in establishing The Open University. Located near Station Square, the statue will be a lasting tribute to her vision and will […]

Research Capability Hub launches with strong national support

30 January 2026

The Open University’s Research Capability Hub (RCH) was formally launched this week (27 January) at a hybrid event that brought together more than 150 participants from across the UK’s social science research community. A major milestone: from design to delivery The launch event marked a significant step in moving the Hub, which was funded by a £4.9M award […]

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