The Open University

A journey to Mercury: TEDxLondon talk by Professor David Rothery

17 July 2018

Professor David Rothery spoke at TEDxLondon in July 2018, talking about the upcoming BepiColombo mission, Europe’s first mission to Mercury. Setting off in October 2018, the mission will take seven years to reach its destination, with the spacecraft completing a complex trajectory to reach the planet before examining its surface and magnetic field in detail. […]

Tropical forests can recover from destructive impact of human activity, suggests OU research

16 July 2018

New research The Open University published in Nature Ecology and Evolution reveals that tropical forests may be more resilient to the effects of our behaviour than previously thought and offers hope that, if undisturbed, tropical forests may be able to recover from the harmful effects of human activity. Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) […]

New OU report reveals financial cost of the skills shortage

16 July 2018

Organisations across the UK are having to spend £6.3 billion to plug the gap in skills on recruitment fees, temporary staffing, salaries and additional training to remain productive, according to our new report released on Monday 16 July. The Open University Business Barometer, which monitors the skills landscape of the UK, also reveals that most […]

Photo of volunteer serving food in homeless shelter

Research reveals smaller charities play a vital role in our society

13 July 2018

Research involving the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership (CVSL) in The Open University Business School has discovered that local small and medium-sized charities (SMCs) in England and Wales are making a huge contribution to our society. The report, The Value of Small, revealed that when tackling social issues like homelessness, domestic abuse or mental ill […]

Awards recognise global impact of OU research

13 July 2018

On Wednesday 11 July 2018, the OU held its first ever Research Excellence Awards to celebrate the University’s research and academic achievements, and the global impact and breadth of the University’s research portfolio. Researchers from across the University were in the running for five awards, whose winners were chosen by a judging panel chaired by Professor […]

OU graduate and former Associate Lecturer wins top engineering award

12 July 2018

OU graduate and former associate lecturer, Dr Phebe Mann, has been recognised with a Top 50 Women in Engineering Award (WE50) for her outstanding achievements in engineering. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the skills shortage facing the industry and the huge discrepancy between the number of men vs. women currently in engineering professions, to […]

House of Lords debate part-time education and the future of the OU

10 July 2018

The OU’s Chancellor, Baroness Martha Lane-Fox of Soho, led the celebration of the OU’s mission and success in a debate in the House of Lords last week. You can watch the full debate here with the Baroness speaking from 12:27 to 12:31. A full transcript is also available. The Chancellor described the OU as “an […]

Teaching Awards recognise innovation and exceptional work at OU

4 July 2018

The Open University’s Teaching Awards 2018 have highlighted some of the exceptional teaching by tutors, academic staff and professional services staff, from running live laboratory science experiments to helping those under-represented in higher education to succeed at university level study. Professor Hazel Rymer, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Students), hosted the awards ceremony and said: “The nominations from across the […]

Higher Education Minister praises the OU’s 50-year contribution to society

3 July 2018

The Higher Education Minister, Sam Gyimah – responsible for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation in England – joined an online session with eight students from his office in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Led by Associate Lecturer and Senior Manager (ALSPD) at The Open University, Dr Anne Campbell, the students spoke of […]

Equestrian centre pioneer, and Britain’s first female firefighter, honoured by OU

3 July 2018

Sister Mary-Joy Langdon, who has transformed the lives of vulnerable children through her riding therapy centre, has been recognised for her services to the educationally underprivileged by being made a Master of the University at the recent Ely degree ceremony. Speaking at the ceremony Sister Mary-Joy said: “I feel very humbled to be standing here […]

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