The Open University

How severe has the economic impact of the Iran war been for the Gulf states?

14 May 2026

The US and Israel’s war on Iran has cast a long shadow over the Gulf. It has placed many of the economies that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regional grouping – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia – under substantial strain, says Emilie Rutledge, Senior Lecturer in […]

State opening of parliament 2026: experts on plans for cost of living, EU ties, tourist tax and more

13 May 2026

The government has set out its legislative agenda for the new parliamentary session in the king’s speech. Our panel of experts reveals the key points. Measures to ease high living costs Jonquil Lowe, Visiting Academic, The Open University Surveys suggest that the cost of living is still a major concern for UK households, with energy and food […]

The Middle East conflict has swiftly exposed economic vulnerability in the region

9 March 2026

At the end of 2025, the Gulf states received high praise for their economic resilience. According to reports by the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, the region was stable, modern and reliable, says Emilie Rutledge, Senior Lecturer in Economics at The Open University. Now the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) […]

Forensics: The Real CSI returns for a new series

26 February 2026

A new OU/BBC series, Forensics: The Real CSI (Series 5 and 6) begins Sunday 1 March at 9pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. The edge of a fingerprint. A single hair. A drop of blood. These tiny margins are the difference between success and failure for police forensics investigators. The series re-joins West Midlands […]

Launch of the Amar bari, amar jibon [My home, my life] Report at the House of Lords

New study calls for action on inadequate housing facing long-established older Bangladeshi Communities in East London

9 February 2026

A landmark, pioneering study into the lived housing experiences of older Bangladeshi adults has revealed how lifelong housing inequalities intensify in later life and calls for action to tackle the housing, care and health inequities uncovered. The report – Amar bari, amar jibon [My home, my life] – led by researchers at The Open University […]

From sun safety to sex appeal: what sunscreen ads reveal about beauty ideals and power

6 January 2026

Lauren Alex O’Hagan, The Open University and Lame M. Kenalemang-Palm, Shanghai University In the depths of winter, sunscreen might not be top of many people’s shopping lists. Yet it remains a staple in most households, and many of us are encouraged to use it year-round. But sunscreen’s history reveals more than just protection from the […]

Mini course about mental health is fastest growing on OU free learning site

12 December 2025

Bite-sized learning about mental health in the 21st century is capturing interest at The Open University by becoming one of its most popular free courses in the past year. The OU’s free learning site OpenLearn held an audit of its wealth of short online courses over the past 12 months and found an incredible 13.3 million visits recorded. Topping the list of the most popular free courses launched in […]

OU/BBC documentary investigates the rise of sextortion scams

2 October 2025

A new OU/BBC documentary explores why sextortion scams on social media are becoming increasingly common. Airing on Sunday 5th October at 9pm on BBC Three and iPlayer, ‘Blackmailed: The Sextortion Killers’ follows reporter Tir Dhondy, as she takes a closer look at the darker side of social media. With unprecedented access and interviews with industry […]

What kind of democrat are you?

30 September 2025

Remember those explosive Brexit-style dinner-table discussions throughout the country? Now an international team of researchers led by the UK’s Open University, has devised a simple FREE interactive test to show people whether the actions they see as being democratic might be considered politically extreme to others. The £2.72 million EU Horizon-Europe/Innovate UK funded project has […]

Jack smiling at the camera dressed in graduation gown with indoor garden to the left.

‘You’re not just improving your career prospects, you’re learning about yourself at the same time’

9 September 2025

Working towards a degree was something Jack, 28, always assumed was in his future. After leaving school, Jack set off for a campus university but with no financial support to lean on, soon found it unsustainable. When a housemate told him about The Open University’s flexible courses, Jack couldn’t wait to dive in. Now a […]

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Category: Society and politics