The Open University

Ministry of Justice film ‘Served’ featuring interview with OU academic wins award

7 February 2024

In just five months a film released only online about prisoners learning catering skills and featuring Open University history professor Rosalind Crone has gone on to gain over 106,000 views and collect a trade award. The film, commissioned by the Ministry of Justice, shows how prisoners at HM Prison Lincoln learn new skills through training […]

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#JeSuisCharlie was one of the most viral hashtags in history – here’s why it wouldn’t happen today

8 January 2024

Emma Connolly, PhD Candidate, Politics and International Studies at The Open University writes for The Conversation about how #JeSuisCharlie was one of the most viral hashtags in history and why it wouldn’t happen today: It will be nine years on January 7 since a shooting at French weekly satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo killed 12 and […]

Putin’s four-hour Q&A is a valuable insight into the Russian president’s version of reality

19 December 2023

Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody is a Senior Lecturer in politics and international relations academic at The Open University and specialises in communication, misinformation and security, particularly in Russia. Here she gives her view on Vladimir Putin’s appearance at his annual press conference. Russian television audiences didn’t have much choice but to watch Vladimir Putin’s annual press […]

Six ways the upcoming autumn statement could affect your personal finances

20 November 2023

Personal finance expert at The Open University Jonquil Lowe gives six tips on how the Chancellor’s crucial words tomorrow (22 November) will affect individuals and business. The UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt will have limited room for manoeuvre when he makes his autumn statement about the government’s financial plans. The government is committed to supporting the […]

Cameron’s appointment – a party trick or a clever move? Academic comment

20 November 2023

It’s a week since Rishi Sunak made the surprise appointment of former PM David Cameron as foreign secretary, so we spoke to The Open University’s Dr Richard Heffernan, a Reader in Government, who specialises in British politics, to see what he makes of the situation. There were raised eyebrows from political commentators when former prime […]

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OU/BBC Series ‘The Met’ Returns for a fourth series

24 October 2023

A captivating fourth series of The Met, co-produced by The Open University (OU) and the BBC, is set to air on BBC One tonight (Tuesday 24 October) at 9pm. The six-episode series provides insight into the Metropolitan Police in the face of complex cases. Filmed over ten months, the series offers an unfiltered look into […]

New report: raw deal for caregivers in Gateshead needs reform

8 September 2023

A new report published by The Open University has highlighted how the weekly Carers Allowance of £76.75 is worth just 77p per hour to a carer looking after a loved one in Gateshead for up to 100 hours a week. It reveals a list of recommendations for decision makers to ensure unpaid carers are not […]

OU academic says being wrapped again in the fabric of the Horizon Project is great news but it won’t be all warm and cosy… yet

8 September 2023

Professor in Politics and International Studies Simon Usherwood welcomes the deal but says it’s definitely not the same one we had before British researchers might find it hard to play the same leading role they’re used to since their positions in developing new projects have been filled by others Experts here do not enjoy the […]

Why the Bank of England’s interest rate hikes aren’t slowing inflation enough and what that means for mortgages

27 June 2023

Alan Shipman is a senior lecturer in economics at The Open University and here he shares his view on the mechanisms employed to slow down inflation, what the fallout means across a wide spectrum of society and why the Bank of England appears as a convenient scapegoat. Consumer price inflation stuck at 8.7% in May, defying […]