The Open University

Moon landings: what the future holds

20 July 2019

As the world remembers the day 50 years ago that astronauts stepped on the Moon for the first time, the OU’s Dr Mahesh Anand, considers the future of space exploration and establishing a Moon base, with the challenges this could involve. Dr Anand is a renowned lunar scientist and Reader in Planetary Science and Exploration, […]

Image of an astronaut on the surface of the moon

My three minutes with the first man on the Moon

19 July 2019

When you meet the man who took the first “small step” for man on the Moon, it’s not surprisingly an occasion which sticks in your memory. The OU’s Emeritus Professor John Zarnecki had that encounter just over nine years ago and recalls his chat with Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong: In March 2010 Professor John […]

Business and Law’s high-achieving students and alumni are honoured

18 July 2019

The Open University Business and Law Schools celebrated their highest achieving students in a joint awards ceremony in Milton Keynes on Friday 12 July. The annual awards, bigger and better this year as the OU celebrates its 50th birthday, commended the exceptional achievements of high-calibre Business and Law students and graduates from the previous academic […]

Water on the Moon; the work behind the dream

17 July 2019

Hannah Sargeant is a PhD student at The Open University, working on techniques to extract water from Moon rocks. As around the globe, people remember the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, we talked to her about what led her to the OU and her work as a researcher: “Why did I choose to work […]

Open University announced as NASA partner on mission to the Moon

15 July 2019

Scientists from The Open University (OU) are supporting one of a series of ground-breaking missions by NASA to go back to the Moon. The announcement comes as the world prepares to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landings, when astronauts from Apollo 11 walked on the Moon on July 20th 1969. These new […]

8 Days: To the Moon and Back – OU/ BBC co-pro told through the eyes of the astronauts

10 July 2019

The Apollo 11 mission – when humans first set foot on the Moon – stunned the world to become an unforgettable global phenomenon. 8 Days: To the Moon and Back, co-produced by the BBC and The Open University’s Broadcast and Partnership Team airs on Wednesday 10th July at 9pm on BBC Two and follows the […]

“The OU completely changed my life”

10 July 2019

Science was the one subject Ray Barber loved since he was a boy. Working as a college technician with no qualifications, he embarked on an OU degree and his life took an amazing turn; which he credits to the qualifications he gained with the OU. He’s since travelled the world with his work, including a […]

The Open University and Sport England unveil free sport coaching course

8 July 2019

The Open University and Sport England have partnered to deliver a free online course to educate and develop sports coaches, officials, instructors and activity leaders. Available on the OU’s free learning platform, OpenLearn – ‘Coaching Others to Coach’ launches on 8 July and can be studied by anyone at any time. Developed in consultation from […]

Cori Gauff in action on the tennis court

Cori Gauff: the support network behind 15-year-old who beat Venus Williams

5 July 2019

Candice Lingam-Willgoss, The Open University, writing for The Conversation. Until recently, it seems likely that only dedicated tennis fans had heard of Cori Gauff: the second youngest winner of the Junior French Open in 2018, she was one to watch – but it’s unlikely anyone predicted just how fast her star would rise. Yet the […]

OU first for Assessment and Feedback – National Student Survey results

4 July 2019

The results of the annual National Student Survey (NSS) have been published with The Open University ranked first for Assessment and Feedback with a score of 85%. Overall satisfaction has stayed at its strong score of 87%, keeping the OU in the top 20 of all UK universities, with a ranking of 17th amongst 139 […]

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