The Open University

Wedding bouquet in a beach setting (Photo Pixabay)

Major consultation into weddings legislation welcomed by OU research lead

17 July 2026

An Open University Law School researcher has welcomed a public Government consultation, opened yesterday (16 July), which could see some of the biggest changes to weddings law in England and Wales for almost 200 years. Stephanie Pywell, Professor Emerita of Law and Social Justice, conducted research including surveys of couples, registrars and celebrants. This work […]

OU academic responds to Lord Blunkett chaired Police Leadership Commission

7 July 2026

Commenting on the Police Leadership Commission report chaired by Lord Blunkett, Dr Jennifer Norman, Head of Department for Policing at The Open University, said: “As someone who gave evidence to the Commission at one of its round tables, and my research profile related to the professionalisation of policing, I welcome this report. Built on evidence from […]

Digital poverty is holding university students back

3 July 2026

When a student can’t submit their essay because the household’s only device is being used by three siblings for school, or because their mobile data ran out mid-lecture, they are experiencing digital poverty, says Matthew Hinton, Senior Lecturer in Information Management, The Open University and Jacqueline Baxter, Professor in Public Policy and Management, The Open […]

Open University report questions whether support for NEETs is needed to plug the skills shortages

19 June 2026

A new report from The Open University reveals a growing mismatch between employer needs and available talent – in turn preventing organisations from addressing persistent skills shortages while large numbers of young people remain locked out of the workforce. The ‘Business Barometer 2026: Harnessing young talent pipeline in a digital world’ is based on a […]

OU and BBC Collaborate on Morning Live film series

1 June 2026

Three short films co-produced by The Open University and the BBC will feature on BBC One’s Morning Live programme, starting Tuesday 2 June with Misogyny in Football. Reports of sexism and misogyny at football matches have been rising, highlighting an ongoing issue within the sport. In the first film, Rebecca Mason speaks to women who have experienced these incidents firsthand, sharing […]

Chocolate (image by Nawal Escape on Pixabay)

OU-supported Chocolate Scorecard highlights poverty, deforestation and child labour

20 May 2026

The Open University (OU) is proud to be part of the 7th Edition of the Chocolate Scorecard which this year reveals the stark reality behind the confectionary’s production. Most cocoa farmers earn below a living income, the forests are still falling, and the children are still working, the Scorecard finds, as it grades chocolate companies […]

Five years on: I Made It at Market revisits makers’ business journeys

24 April 2026

A new BBC One series, I Made It at Market, revisits former participants from Make It at Market to explore how their businesses have developed around five years after taking part. The 10 episode series began on Tuesday 7 April, airing weekday afternoons for a fortnight on BBC One, with all episodes available on BBC […]

Group in London for finale of MEL Programme

“Inspiring” evening celebrates diverse leadership programme with graduates

18 March 2026

The Open University honoured its cohort of graduates from its pioneering Minority Ethnic Leadership (MEL) Programme at a special event in London last week. The programme was the first-of-its-kind, aiming to support a new generation of diverse leaders, with a bespoke course and opportunities for peer learning and mentoring. Students, senior leaders, mentors and guests […]

New esports course launched by industry leader EStars in collaboration with The Open University

1 December 2025

Leading educational esports company EStars is teaming up with The Open University (OU) to offer online CPD training for teachers, to enhance their knowledge and expertise in the esports sector. Esports is now one of the fastest-growing industries in the world — a multi-billion-dollar sector creating countless career pathways in game design, event production, marketing, […]