The Open University

Lifelong learning should be a reality, not a slogan

4 July 2019

“Lifelong learning can no longer be a slogan. It has to be a practical reality.” That was the message fronted by Andy Haldane, Chief Economist of the Bank of England, at an event held to champion the importance of digital skills and access to education. The event, one in a series of talks organised for […]

Mental health champion honoured by OU

3 June 2019

Cholena Mountain, mental health practitioner, educator, and expert in personality disorders has been awarded an Honorary Master of the University for work in areas of special educational concern, at the Ely Cathedral graduation ceremony. In recent years, the challenges faced by those with personality disorders have become more widely recognised, and there has been a […]

Mary Kellett, Martha Lane Fox and Sir David Attenborough

OU family past and present celebrate 50 years of The Open University

23 May 2019

Over the past fifty years, The Open University has touched millions of lives around the world. To celebrate this, honorary graduates, supporters, students and members of the OU family came together at a special 50th Anniversary dinner hosted by Chancellor Martha Lane Fox. Speaking at the event, Martha Lane-Fox expressed her delight at celebrating this […]

BBC Radio 4 documentary charts history of the OU

17 May 2019

This year The Open University celebrates 50 years of revolutionising access to higher education. Marking this milestone, BBC Radio 4 is exploring the remarkable story of how the UK’s largest university came into existence, the impact it has had since 1969 and why it is continues to be vital to the fabric of society today. […]

Innovative, modern and impactful: The OU Library wins information literacy award

13 May 2019

The Open University Library’s Live Engagement Team has won the information literacy award at the LILAC annual conference. The team teaches information literacy (IL) skills through online training sessions, podcasts, Facebook live and other methods. The award recognized their excellence in developing OU students’ skills in an innovative way. Going above and beyond The judging […]

Open University and colleges extend Functional Skills partnership

13 May 2019

Free Level 2 Functional Skills in Maths and English are now being offered by The Open University in partnership with local Further Education Colleges. 12,000 people have already accessed the OU’s Level 1 Functional Skills free course materials in Maths and English since they were launched in February 2019. Functional Skills are part of the […]

The Open University appoints new Vice-Chancellor

8 May 2019

The Open University has appointed Professor Tim Blackman as its next Vice-Chancellor who will take up his new role on the 1 October. Professor Blackman is currently Vice-Chancellor of Middlesex University and has served in this role since July 2015. Prior to Middlesex University, he was Acting Vice–Chancellor at The Open University and previously Pro […]

Funding supports Floodplain Meadows Partnership

1 May 2019

A new grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has given a fresh boost to the work of the Open University-led Floodplain Meadows Partnership. The Floodplain Meadows Partnership is an innovative project focusing on research, management, promotion and restoration of these special meadows in England and Wales. The grant of £280,000 is to support the latest […]

The Open University secures £50m investment in social learning platform FutureLearn

29 April 2019

SEEK Group investment takes FutureLearn from start-up to a £100m value company in just six years SEEK Group (ASX: SEK) will invest £50m to become a joint, 50% owner of The Open University’s FutureLearn social learning platform, it was announced today in a deal thought to be the largest ever private-sector EdTech investment in Europe. […]

Photograph of a large group of people celebrating

Celebrate OU: How we’re marking our 50th

22 April 2019

It’s not every day you reach half a century and so we’re making sure we mark it properly! Up and down the country, in our nations, up mountains and in fields we’re getting ready to celebrate. There’s all sorts of activity going on, from baking cakes and fanfares to social media messaging. All of them […]

OU News

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