The Open University

Val McDermid and Mark Beaumont honoured by the OU

26 October 2018

Honorary graduates author Val McDermid, endurance athlete Mark Beaumont, educationalist Dame Ruth Silver, and teacher and educational psychologist Graham Cameron today joined almost 500 Open University graduates in Glasgow to receive their awards. Hailing from all over Scotland and beyond, the graduates – many of whom have juggled work, family and other commitments alongside their […]

OU welcomes recommendations to provide more flexible study

26 October 2018

A generation of ‘lost learners’ are missing out on the chance to develop the skills at university that employers and the UK economy need, because of the cost and time it takes to study part-time. This is one of the main findings of a project set up by Universities UK (UUK) and the Confederation of […]

Julia Gillard honoured by The Open University in Wales

22 October 2018

The former Prime Minister of Australia was honoured alongside Welsh graduates at The Open University in Wales degree ceremony in Cardiff. At the Wales Millennium Centre, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was presented with an honorary degree from The Open University in Wales for her contribution to public service. Born in Barry, Julia Gillard, […]

Some like it hot – OU scientist explains the mission to Mercury

19 October 2018

The BepiColombo spacecraft blasted off into space, bound for Mercury in the early hours of Saturday 20th October from French Guyana and travel 9 billion km to reach Mercury in 2025. The hope is that its findings will help uncover the mysteries of the least explored planet in the inner Solar System and the closest […]

Europe’s set to blast off to Mercury – here’s the rocket science

19 October 2018

The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch its BepiColombo mission to the planet Mercury from its spaceport near the equator in Kourou, French Guyana, on October 20. My involvement in the mission means that I will be anxiously following the journey as the spacecraft carries out a series of tricky manoeuvres, culminating in its final […]

OpenLearn hits 60 million visitors

18 October 2018

That’s 60 million people who have benefitted from OpenLearn’s mission to make informal learning freely available and accessible to people around the world, regardless of their prior educational record, or financial situation. Launched in 2006, OpenLearn is the home of free learning from The Open University. The site currently averages 44,000 visitors a day, across […]

Game of Thrones: imagined world combines romantic and grotesque visions of Middle Ages

17 October 2018

Take the dragons and the zombies away from the television adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire novels and you are left with the seemingly authentic portrayal of a pseudo-medieval world. Indeed, Martin was inspired by historical events such as the Wars of the Roses, the Crusades and the Hundred […]

“The single greatest gift that study gave me was hope” – how the OU changes prisoners’ lives

17 October 2018

“The single greatest gift that OU study gave me was hope” says John, an ex-offender who spent six years in prison. CJ went from serving nine-and-a-half years in prison for drug trafficking to gaining a first class Law degree, confidence, and employment. And Stephen, jailed for importing drugs, says that starting with the OU was […]

On the death of a baby: Parents experience of grief and loss

15 October 2018

Dr Kerry Jones is a Lecturer in End of Life Care and researches bereavement across the whole life span. In this article, she debunks some common misconceptions and outlines ways to support parents who are going through this loss. “ It doesn’t matter how many babies we do or don’t have, you can’t ever replace […]

Supporting women in Oldham is lifetime’s work for OU Hon Grad

12 October 2018

A desire to share knowledge and create support networks for women like herself, inspired OU Honorary Graduate Najma Khalid to create a community scheme which is still flourishing seven years after its inception. Najma received her Honorary Masters at the OU’s Manchester degree ceremony this month, in front of a packed audience at Bridgewater Hall. […]

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