The Open University

Lifelong learning should be a reality, not a slogan

4 July 2019

“Lifelong learning can no longer be a slogan. It has to be a practical reality.” That was the message fronted by Andy Haldane, Chief Economist of the Bank of England, at an event held to champion the importance of digital skills and access to education. The event, one in a series of talks organised for […]

Never too old to learn: what will you do at 91?

3 July 2019

An inspirational 91-year-old woman from Bromley, London has been named as a finalist in the Festival of Learning Awards 2019. Sylvia Rowbottom was forced to leave school during the Second World War, aged 16, but made a pledge to herself to return to education when we got the chance, no matter how long it took. […]

Libra, Iran and the potential end of cryptocurrencies as we know them

3 July 2019

Robert Herian, The Open University, writing for The Conversation Facebook’s new cryptocurrency, libra, is being heralded as the moment that cryptocurrencies and blockchain, the technology that supports them, become truly mainstream. A notable rise in the price of bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies in the run up to the libra announcement on June 18, and […]

OU’s Lunar scientists take a look at living on the Moon

1 July 2019

A team of UK scientists, led by The Open University, are revealing research which brings the possibility of living on the Moon much closer. The Living on the Moon! exhibit at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition (1-7 July), created by a consortium of 5 UK institutions, brings together lunar research from the past 50 […]

How yoga conquered Britain: the feminist legacy of Yogini Sunita and Kalaish Puri

20 June 2019

Suzanne Newcombe, The Open University writing for The Conversation. From fairly obscure beginnings in the mid-20th century, the practice of yoga in Britain has become a massively popular pastime. It’s hard to find official figures for just how many people practise yoga regularly, but it’s thought that between 300,000 and 500,000 people regularly take part […]

Meet the OU’s International Students

20 June 2019

The Open University is launching the International Open Diaries; five short films featuring incredible OU students and alumni from different corners of the world. Following on from the UK Open Diaries that were launched in summer 2018, these new diaries have a distinctly international flavour. They offer a unique insight into what it’s like for […]

Meat is masculine: how food advertising perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes

19 June 2019

Kate Stewart, Nottingham Trent University and Matthew Cole, The Open University The UK Advertising Standards Authority has introduced a new rule in its advertising code which bans adverts which feature gender stereotypes “that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence”. This is a welcome step towards challenging the everyday normality of patriarchy […]

Enceladus, NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

OU receives £6.7 million to expand Astrobiology research

13 June 2019

The Open University (OU) has received £6.7 million to expand its Astrobiology Research Group to address fundamental questions about life beyond the Earth. The grant is awarded under Research England’s “Expanding Excellence in England (E3) 2019-2022”. The funding was announced today by Universities and Science Minister Chris Skidmore, as part of 13 government backed projects […]

OU launches scholarship fund to support carers

10 June 2019

The Open University has this week launched The Carers Scholarships Fund, which will provide 50 UK-based carers with a full fee-waiver scholarship of up to £18,000 to study an OU course of their choice. To ensure young adult carers are encouraged to apply, 15 places have been reserved for those between the ages of 18-28. […]

A urinal in a Scottish pub reveals why toilets matter in international politics

6 June 2019

If you wanted to see international politics in action, where would you go? Maybe the UN headquarters in New York to see diplomats debating resolutions of global import? Or drop in on one of the world’s many financial hubs, where trading shapes international markets and determines the success or failure of nations. But you probably […]

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