The Open University

Springwatch series pays homage to the “restorative power of nature”

31 May 2022

A chance to embrace all that is inspiring and engaging about nature is on offer with the brand new series of BBC/Open University’s Springwatch. This ever popular co-production will be shown live from May 30 every evening Monday to Thursday across the next three weeks from 8pm on BBC Two. Springwatch 2022 reveals the seasons’ […]

OU to provide skills boost for local communities

25 May 2022

The OU will partner with further education providers to provide high-quality, higher and technical education to more local communities across England, backed by £10 million of Government funding. Under the scheme, announced by Higher and Further Education Minister Michelle Donelan today (25 May), The Open University will work with colleges that do not currently offer […]

Sensitive topics: why studying them at a distance needs extra care

23 May 2022

Academic study can sometimes mean students cover difficult themes; reading, watching or hearing accounts and taking in information which can be shocking or even a reminder of a highly personal past or present experience. A team of researchers at The Open University (OU) are investigating how the OU’s students emotionally experience and deal with such […]

New programme offers Black students chance for free degree study

19 May 2022

Fifty Black UK-based students on lower incomes are being offered the opportunity to study for a degree for free through The Open University, via the Black Students Support Fund. The Fund is part of a series of scholarships, worth more than £2.6 million in total, and is designed to open doors for people who might […]

London businesswoman’s inspiring tale from homelessness to aiding her community

18 May 2022

London-based businesswoman who studied for an Open University degree whilst homeless is set to feature in front of millions in a docuseries with the OU and MTV Generation Change for her uplifting work with the community. Lea Gibson is one of three OU students to feature in the series – the second series of its […]

OU responds to Education Select Committee report about prisoner education

18 May 2022

The House of Commons Education Select Committee has today published its report ‘Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity’. The Open University is the primary provider of higher education in prisons and secure units in England and Wales, operating in over 150 prisons across […]

OU launches support package to help Ukraine

16 May 2022

The Open University (OU) has launched a raft of measures aimed at helping students and Ukrainians fleeing the war and arriving in the UK. These include financial support and assistance for existing OU students, a funding lifeline to potential students from Ukraine now living in the UK, as well as free online learning and partnerships […]

OU/BBC production airs about Joe Wicks and his difficult childhood

13 May 2022

The nation’s favourite PE teacher Joe Wicks appeared on the small screen recently to show how the mental health of parents can affect their children. In Joe Wicks: facing my childhood, an Open University co-production with the BBC, he opens up about the effect his own parents’ mental health issues, which were not talked about […]

OU launches world’s first Online Confucius Institute

13 May 2022

The OU has today launched the world’s first Online Confucius Institute in partnership with the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). The Online Confucius Institute at The Open University is a non-profit educational partnership between the OU and BFSU which will provide a range of opportunities for students, researchers, teachers and the wider professional community to […]

REF 2021 recognises 82% of OU research impact as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent.’

12 May 2022

The Open University (OU)’s commitment to research and societal impact is recognised today (Thursday, 12 May), with 82% of its research impact assessed to be ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*) by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. These results are a welcome acknowledgement of the impact of OU researchers’ work in transforming lives, shaping […]

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Category: Around the OU