The Open University

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Free online resources to promote a safer use of AI in legal settings

6 August 2025

A new suite of free resources spearheaded by The Open University is launched today (Wednesday 6th August 2025) to both embrace AI and recognise its challenges for the legal and access to justice sector. The rapid advance and integration of Generative AI (Gen AI) has brought huge changes and a myriad of ethical challenges for […]

OU’s Open Business Creators Fund awards £30,000 to small businesses

29 July 2025

The Open University (OU) has granted a total of £30,000 to 20 student-led businesses through its Open Business Creators Fund. The fund, which is co-funded by Santander Universities and the Higher Education Innovation Fund, provides crucial financial support to small and aspiring businesses owned by OU students and alumni. 350 budding entrepreneurs signed up to […]

‘Then the city started to burn, the fires were chasing me’ – 80 years on, Hiroshima survivors describe how the atomic blast echoed down generations

25 July 2025

I’m not sure if it was the effect of the atomic bomb, but I have always had a weak body, and when I was born, the doctor said I wouldn’t last more than three days. These are the words of Kazumi Kuwahara, a third-generation hibakusha – a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki […]

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Speculation of state-pension retirement at 74? OU expert gives us the truth

24 July 2025

With recent reports suggesting that the state-pension age could be raised to 74 for future generations we asked Jonquil Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Personal Finance at The Open University, to tell us how this news came about and where the truth lies. “Alarmist headline-grabbing” is the verdict from Jonquil as she says the press zoned […]

Scientists simulate the Solar System’s ‘ice volcanoes’ in OU’s Milton Keynes lab

24 July 2025

A team of international scientists, including researchers from the Atmospheric Research and Space Exploration group at The Open University (OU), have recreated the extreme conditions found on icy moons in deep space and revealed the unstable behaviour of water. In the near-zero pressure environment of space, water reacts very differently from how it does on […]

Triple offer to SMEs for brighter future in global markets

21 July 2025

Gaining a foothold in international markets in today’s uncertain times can deter many small businesses. This is the impetus behind a new multi-stranded offer to SMEs to give them the boost they need to embark on global trade. The Business Export Exchange Programme (BEEP) is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between The Open University (OU) and TIN […]

Why the UK’s butterflies are booming in 2025

17 July 2025

Biodiversity is in rapid decline, across the UK and globally, says Willow Neal, Postgraduate Researcher in Conservation Ecology at The Open University. Butterflies are excellent for helping us understand these changes. Where butterfly communities are rich and diverse, so too is the ecosystem. But the opposite is also true: if butterfly numbers are low and […]

The Open University responds to the NHS 10-year Health Plan

17 July 2025

The Government has now published its 10-Year Health Plan for England, focusing on the NHS being ‘Fit for the Future’. Here, the OU nursing team give their topline thoughts on the three main themes. Hospital to Community The emphasis on prioritising most care out of or near to home is expected, appreciated and long overdue. […]

The CONNECT Initiative: empowering the next generation for global digital co-operation through sci-tech diplomacy

15 July 2025

The CONNECT initiative, led by The Open University and discussed during UNESCO’s Science Diplomacy Dialogue and Global Education events, is being recognised as a flagship example of capacity-building in scientific and technological diplomacy. CONNECT is a project aiming to support secondary schools to adopt open schooling, integrating science-action in the core-curriculum and using participatory-science with […]

The OU named Knowledge Partner for Milton Keynes International Festival

15 July 2025

The Open University (OU) has been named official Knowledge Partner for the Milton Keynes International Festival (MK:IF) 2025, running from 18–27 July. In a vibrant 10-day celebration of arts, science, and culture, the OU will bring its world-class research, creativity, and academic expertise directly into the heart of the community. A dynamic programme of free, […]

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