The Open University

OU academic named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours

31 December 2020

Mark Brandon, Professor of Polar Oceanography, at The Open University has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year 2021 Honours for services to Polar Science. Mark has been at The Open University for 20 years and has been Professor of Polar Oceanography since 2018. He is also the Associate Dean of Enterprise and […]

2020: an award winning year for OU/BBC TV and Radio

21 December 2020

It’s been another award-winning year for OU/BBC co-productions. Our co-produced content received four nominations at the BAFTAs, with Blue Planet Live winning the ‘Live Event’ category, BBC Ideas won a Webby and we had five nominations at the Broadcast Awards. Here we look back at some of the highlights of the OU/BBC co-productions from the […]

Game your way into a new cyber career

21 December 2020

Most would agree that cyber security is no child’s play, but an Open University (OU) course is keen to borrow the latest gaming techniques to teach adults new skills in the field. OU tech experts have developed a new, FREE course teaching the basics of cyber security to beginners using game-based assessments, making the subject […]

A Perfect Planet: far reaching series set to air in New Year

19 December 2020

Can we really live in a perfect world? A Perfect Planet is a new, five-part natural history series co-produced by The Open University and the BBC, which explains why the Earth is just right for life, so long as we look after it. The series, set to air from Sunday 3 January 2021 at 8pm […]

New short course helps business leaders navigate uncertainty

18 December 2020

The Open University (OU) has launched a new microcredential short course aimed at senior managers and leaders to equip them with the skills needed to make effective decisions and harness opportunities during periods of uncertainty. Management of Uncertainty: Leadership, Decisions and Action will be hosted on the OU’s partner platform, FutureLearn, and is open for […]

Millions of electric cars will need charging in future – but how?

17 December 2020

Miguel Valdez, Lecturer in Technology and Innovation Management, Matthew Cook, Professor Innovation and Stephen Potter, Professor of Transport Strategy at The Open University discuss the future of electric cars in the UK and explains their research into wireless charging for cars. One consequence of Brexit is that Britain will desperately need a modernising industrial strategy. […]

EU court case sees British citizen seek post-Brexit rights in France

8 December 2020

Anne Wesemann, Senior Lecturer in Law, at The Open University, writes about how British citizens living abroad face uncertainty with Brexit, with hopes pinned on one particular court case. A UK citizen who has been living in France for 36 years has brought a case to the Court of Justice of the European Union that […]

Bees, birdsong and butterflies: public connects with nature during lockdown

1 December 2020

Whether it’s listening to birdsong, strolling along leafy paths or just staring upwards at a cloud arrangement, many of us have become struck by nature’s beauty in 2020. OU Pollinator Watch is a citizen science social project which ran on the award-winning nQuire platform as part of BBC2’s Springwatch and went live during the first […]

Mars colony: how to make breathable air and fuel from brine – new research

1 December 2020

David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences, at The Open University, discusses new research from Washington University, which suggests that oxygen can be made on Mars using salty water found on the red planet. NASA is planning to land a crew on the Moon by 2024, and then onward to Mars, possibly in the 2030s. One […]

OU academic takes on running challenge to raise awareness of domestic violence

26 November 2020

Anna Hopkins, Lecturer in Policing Organisation and Practice at The Open University, is undertaking an epic challenge by running 125 miles to raise awareness of domestic violence and raise money for AAFDA – Advocacy After Domestic Abuse – a charity that supports victims’ families. Throughout November Anna is completing three ten mile runs a week […]

OU News