Open University joins UK-wide initiative to expand access to education for displaced learners

Posted on 3 June 2026 • University news

The Open University (OU) has joined a new UK-wide collaboration of universities and sector partners to strengthen coordinated responses to global crises affecting higher education and expand access for displaced learners.

The Global Response Platform (GRP) brings together leading UK institutions to work collectively on international crisis response, enabling a more coordinated and scalable approach to supporting students whose education has been disrupted by conflict and displacement.

The initiative responds to increasing global instability and barriers to education, providing a mechanism for universities to collaborate through shared planning, delivery and resources, while reducing duplication and increasing impact.

Aligned with the UK’s International Education Strategy, the GRP will support activity across transnational education and online provision, particularly in regions where displaced learners are most likely to be living.

Initial projects of GRP partners include:

• Expanding access to online education for learners in crisis-affected contexts
• Creating opportunities for refugee students within UK universities’ overseas partnerships
• Supporting higher education systems in conflict-affected regions
• Building a shared evidence base to strengthen sector knowledge and practice

 Professor Al Laville, Pro-Vice Chancellor of EDI, The Open University, said:

“The Open University’s mission is rooted in widening access to education. Through the Global Response Platform, we are keen to work with partners to explore how that mission can be applied internationally to support learners affected by crisis and displacement.”

Ben Webster, CEO, Mosaik Education, said:

“The ambition and ideas captured in the history and ethos of the OU are an inspiration to anyone working to widen access to higher education, and precisely the spirit the Global Response Platform was built to harness. We are delighted to welcome the OU as a founding member and look forward to the transformative contribution they will make to this growing community of UK universities responding to crises overseas.”

The Global Response Platform is coordinated by Mosaik Education and supported by partners including Universities UK, UNHCR and the British Council.