The Open University

Brexit, academic freedom and where the law stands on universities being quizzed about what they teach

26 October 2017

It started with a letter. A seemingly simple request for information, sent by the Conservative MP Chris Heaton-Harris to university vice-chancellors. But you don’t even have to read between the lines before alarm bells start to ring, because in the letter, Heaton-Harris requests access to university course documents as well as the names of professors […]

Explainer: what you need to know about Catalonia

9 October 2017

Expert in Spanish Politics, Dr Georgina Blakeley, who is Director of Teaching (Politics) at The Open University, explains the background to Catalonia’s calls for independence, which in recent weeks have rarely been out of the headlines, as a referendum and rallies showed the turmoil of a divided nation. About Catalonia Catalonia is a region in the […]

Top 9 tips for saving for your pension

15 September 2017

Pensions are always the hot topic among learners on the OU’s hugely popular free OpenLearn and FutureLearn courses, Managing My Money and Managing My Investments. They are also core in our seminal undergraduate course, DB123 You and Your Money, that aims to raise students’ own financial capability. Research by senior lecturer in economics and personal […]

Brutality of British immigration detention system laid bare

5 September 2017

An exposé of an immigration removal centre has uncovered shocking levels of violence and abuse directed at detainees awaiting potential deportation from the UK. While some staff at the Brook House centre for men near Gatwick Airport, run by the company G4S, tried to control the “chaos”, others were clearly seen mocking and assaulting detainees. […]

Milton Keynes is bidding to be 2023 Capital of Culture – it should be taken seriously

1 September 2017

The British city of Milton Keynes is probably not the most obvious contender for the title of 2023 European Capital of Culture. It hasn’t exactly got a reputation for being a cultural hot spot: jokes about the blandness of Milton Keynes are entrenched in the popular imagination. In his travel notes, popular writer Bill Bryson’s […]

How vanishing debt costs helped the UK forget about a never-ending deficit

1 September 2017

When the UK government found £1 billion for Northern Ireland to secure Democratic Unionist parliamentary support, critics accused it of turning to the same “magic money tree” it had previously mocked others for believing in. But it may just be that the tree is flourishing in plain sight. UK national debt is currently issued at […]

An ‘epiphany’ for philosophy academic at the OU

23 August 2017

An academic from the OU has been awarded funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to explore the impact of “epiphanies” on individuals and societies. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Professor of Philosophy, Sophie Grace Chappell, has been awarded a Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship (MRF) of £142,000 to research epiphanies and author […]

Saving and Investing for your child’s university education

23 August 2017

Open University economist, Alan Shipman, gives his observations on what parents might consider when looking at saving or investing for university education. Should parents save or invest for university education? Not everyone agrees that parents need to save or invest for their children’s university education, or will gain anything from doing so. As the […]

Top tips for moneywise students

21 August 2017

If you’re heading off to university this Autumn or considering studying flexibly with The Open University, you will no doubt be examining your finances. Here’s seven tips to help you manage your money, from Senior Lecturer in Personal Finance and Economics, Jonquil Lowe. 1. Choose your account carefully There are special bank accounts for students, […]

Research will study family relations impact on mental health of young LGBQ

13 July 2017

The OU is co-investigator on a new research project to examine the impact of family relationships on the mental health of young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ). Open University Professor Jacqui Gabb, Chair of Sociology and Intimacy, is co-investigator with Dr Elizabeth McDermott, a senior lecturer in Health and Medicine […]

OU News

Category: Society and politics