The Open University

Regenerating Seaside Towns – why part-time study could be an answer

22 November 2018

The regeneration of seaside areas has been under debate in Westminster, with one topic of focus being access to education for those in coastal communities. Some seaside areas are a long way from a conventional university, and The Open University has traditionally helped many people in these communities gain a degree through flexible part-time distance […]

New BBC series delves into unseen world of the British Foreign Office

14 November 2018

The Open University has partnered with the BBC to co-produce a three-part documentary, which explores the strange, secretive and fascinating world of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Inside the Foreign Office begins on Thursday 15 November at 9pm on BBC Two. Filmed over 12 months, the fly-on-the-wall series follows diplomats, ministers and senior […]

BBC series School: your questions answered

12 November 2018

Why can teachers no longer just be teachers? What are the human impacts of budget cuts on today’s school children? Is pastoral care an important part of a student journey or a symptom of the snowflake era? These are all issues uncovered following the first episode of School last week – questions then put to academic […]

Photograph of someone typing on a laptop

Government must urgently address decline in part-time and mature learners, says report

5 November 2018

Maintenance grants for part-time students, expansion of degree apprenticeships and credit transfer are just some of the recommendations aimed at addressing the decline in part-time and mature learners in the Education Select Committee’s report Value for Money in Higher Education. The report published today has been strongly welcomed by The Open University for recognising the […]

Money and financial graph. Image credit: Thinkstock

Budget Commentary: Jam tomorrow for the poor

30 October 2018

Jonquil Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Personal Finance, shares her views on the autumn budget. “The big ticket item from yesterday’s Budget – apart from extra spending on the NHS – is bringing forward by a year increases to the personal allowance (the first slice of income that most people can have tax-free) to £12,500 and […]

Val McDermid and Mark Beaumont honoured by the OU

26 October 2018

Honorary graduates author Val McDermid, endurance athlete Mark Beaumont, educationalist Dame Ruth Silver, and teacher and educational psychologist Graham Cameron today joined almost 500 Open University graduates in Glasgow to receive their awards. Hailing from all over Scotland and beyond, the graduates – many of whom have juggled work, family and other commitments alongside their […]

OU welcomes recommendations to provide more flexible study

26 October 2018

A generation of ‘lost learners’ are missing out on the chance to develop the skills at university that employers and the UK economy need, because of the cost and time it takes to study part-time. This is one of the main findings of a project set up by Universities UK (UUK) and the Confederation of […]

Julia Gillard honoured by The Open University in Wales

22 October 2018

The former Prime Minister of Australia was honoured alongside Welsh graduates at The Open University in Wales degree ceremony in Cardiff. At the Wales Millennium Centre, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was presented with an honorary degree from The Open University in Wales for her contribution to public service. Born in Barry, Julia Gillard, […]

OpenLearn hits 60 million visitors

18 October 2018

That’s 60 million people who have benefitted from OpenLearn’s mission to make informal learning freely available and accessible to people around the world, regardless of their prior educational record, or financial situation. Launched in 2006, OpenLearn is the home of free learning from The Open University. The site currently averages 44,000 visitors a day, across […]

“The single greatest gift that study gave me was hope” – how the OU changes prisoners’ lives

17 October 2018

“The single greatest gift that OU study gave me was hope” says John, an ex-offender who spent six years in prison. CJ went from serving nine-and-a-half years in prison for drug trafficking to gaining a first class Law degree, confidence, and employment. And Stephen, jailed for importing drugs, says that starting with the OU was […]

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Category: Around the OU