The Open University

TV series sheds light on real life journey of refugees

11 July 2016

The subject of refugees and their often dangerous journeys into Europe has barely been out of the news in recent years. Now, a powerful new BBC series – produced in partnership with The Open University – is set to cast a new light on those directly involved. Exodus: Our Journey to Europe charts the journeys […]

Podcast: OU academic reflects on the EU Referendum

24 June 2016

The British public has voted to leave the European Union (EU), which is potentially the biggest political decision many of us will experience in our lifetime. Shortly after David Cameron announced his intention to resign as UK Prime Minister, we spoke to Interim Head of Politics and International Studies, Dr Richard Heffernan, about what Brexit might […]

Former Zimbabwean refugee on the transforming power of education

24 June 2016

Alice Chigumira came to the UK in 2002 as a refugee from Zimbabwe where she’d worked for the Minister of Foreign Affairs for 12 years. She grew up during a time of social upheaval and distress, eventually forced out by political instability, to settle in Reading. As a widow with two small children, Alice adjusted […]

Still deciding on the EU Referendum? Start with your own place in the world

22 June 2016

The question of whether Britain should remain in or leave the European Union has become one of identity. Does Britain see itself as part of this project or is it different? So it makes sense for anyone still undecided on which way to vote to ask themselves a similar question. In our research, we’ve found […]

Professor Jacqui Gabb with her research impact award

OU professor wins research impact award

21 June 2016

The OU’s Professor Jacqui Gabb has won a research impact award for work completed on the Enduring Love? project, a study into the way couples sustain their long-term relationships. The inaugural Evelyn Gillan Research Impact Prize was presented by the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships in memory of the centre’s late colleague Evelyn […]

Call for better digital information for refugees

20 June 2016

As the UK marks the start of Refugee Week (20-26 June), one of the OU’s leading academics has identified a serious gap in the provision of trustworthy, relevant reliable and timely news and information which could be putting lives at risk. Professor Marie Gillespie has been conducting research into this issue, and argues that the […]

Three OU students who are all members of the same family (daughter, husband and dad)

‘Dad kept saying why not do the OU? So I did’

17 June 2016

Yvonne Quaintrell had a rough time and school and didn’t do well. But it wasn’t until she became a parent that she found herself so motivated by her dad that she decided to sign up too. And now it’s become a family affair. Yvonne was inspired to study with the OU by her father Harry, […]

Etruscan Stele, which was discovered by archaeologists at an ancient temple near Florence, Italy

Ancient inscription offers insight into extinct language

15 June 2016

A team of archaeologists has recently discovered a 2,500 year old stone on which is an inscription in an ancient, extinct language. We spoke to one of the academics leading on the project, Professor of Archaeology, Phil Perkins, about the impact of this on our understanding of the past: What is the ‘Etruscan Stele’? “Basically, […]

Winners of International Radio Playwriting competition – slavery, war and corruption

10 June 2016

BBC World Service and the British Council, with co-producer The Open University and in partnership with Commonwealth Writers, have announced the winners of the 25th International Radio Playwriting Competition. Joanne Gutknecht from Canada won the English as a First Language category for her script Playing With Fire, while Pericles Silveira from Brazil triumphed in the […]

Hands-free phones not hazard free for drivers, say researchers

9 June 2016

Hands-free phones are often viewed as the solution to eliminating hazards while driving. They stop people holding onto a device and the steering wheel at the same time for a start. But new research, by psychologists at The Open University and the University of Sussex found that alarm bells should ring about these devices too. They found […]

OU News

Category: Arts and social sciences