The Open University

OU urges focus on skills for older workers

21 June 2016

The Open University has issued a call to businesses to ensure their workforce has the skills they need to remain competitive throughout all stages of their careers. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today Programme, the OU’s Director of External Engagement Steve Hill told listeners that, with around a third of the UK workforce aged […]

Bettany at Berlin Wall - East-side Gallery

Meet the geniuses of the modern world in OU/BBC programme

16 June 2016

Three of the greatest minds of the modern world are explored in a three-part series, presented by broadcaster and historian, Bettany Hughes. Broadcast on BBC Four at 21:00 from Thursday 16 June 2016, Genius of the Modern World considers the lives of three men born in a 19th century world – a period dominated by […]

“Learning is a lifelong experience” Sir David Cannadine tells OU graduates

10 June 2016

One of the UK’s leading historians, Sir David Cannadine, has told OU graduates that the university has “irrevocably transformed higher education for the better” as he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate at a ceremony in Manchester today. Sir David joined more than 250 OU students collecting their qualifications at Manchester’s Bridgwater Hall, alongside social justice […]

Universities Minister highlights importance of lifetime learning

10 June 2016

The Universities and Science Minister, Jo Johnson MP, has used a keynote speech to highlight the importance of life-long access to higher education. Addressing the annual conference of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) at London’s Regent’s University, Mr Johnson said that “the student journey can only be regarded as a success if it is […]

Open University honours legal pioneer Baroness Brenda Hale

6 June 2016

The Right Honorable the Baroness Hale of Richmond, Deputy President of the Supreme Court, received an Honorary Doctorate from The Open University at its degree ceremony in Ely on Saturday, 4 June. The most senior female judge in UK history, Baroness Hale was nominated for the award as a result of her exceptional contribution […]

Meet the OU academics behind The Big C and Me TV series

3 June 2016

OU academics are often nominated to work as consultants on Open University TV and radio co-productions which align with their areas of professional expertise. But what does this mean? They’re nominated by their faculty to consult on co-productions and work closely with the programme makers throughout, advising on research topics, commenting on draft scripts, fact checking and providing […]

Silhouettes of Business People. Image credit: Thinkstock

Try before you buy: new entry route to university qualifications unveiled

26 May 2016

Major UK universities, including Leeds and The Open University, are set to offer a new route into higher education – enabling learners to earn credits towards qualifications like degrees, MBA or professional accreditation via massive open online courses (MOOCs). In a European first, learners will be able to take a series of short courses on […]

Who Really Rules Us? Programme ponders the EU question

18 May 2016

Presenter Jeremy Paxman will take TV viewers on a journey to the heart of the European Union in a one-off hour-long programme co-produced by BBC and The Open University. Called Paxman in Brussels: Who Really Rules Us? it will ask, quite simply: Have we handed over the power to rule the UK to Europe? And if […]

From left are John Addy, John D’Arcy, Sheila Coleman and Heather Laird.

Hillsborough justice campaigner honoured by OU

17 May 2016

Sheila Coleman, a leading member of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from The Open University. The honour comes shortly after an inquest into the disaster concluded that the 96 fans who died as a result of a crush in 1989 were unlawfully killed. Recognised by the university for her contribution […]

OU welcomes HE White Paper

16 May 2016

More degree awarding powers to new universities, recognising teaching quality and widening participation to HE was the rallying cry from Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science in England, in the HE White Paper that promises to increase choice for students and promote social mobility. Published today (16 May) Success as a Knowledge Economy: […]

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Category: Around the OU