The Open University

FutureLearn marks fifth anniversary with news of postgraduate degrees with OU

15 March 2018

FutureLearn, The Open University’s wholly-owned social learning platform, celebrated its fifth birthday by announcing plans to host Post Graduate degrees courses by the OU. The announcement was made during a celebratory reception at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday March 14. The event was sponsored by Baroness Martha Lane-Fox of Soho, CBE and was attended […]

Remembering inspirational physicist and author Stephen Hawking

14 March 2018

We are extremely saddened to hear that world-renowned physicist Professor Stephen Hawking passed away today. Famous for his work with black holes and relativity, Professor Hawking inspired many people to look beyond our planet and understand space and the universe better. Despite living for many years with motor neurone disease, his achievements are remarkable. His […]

Open University calls for Apprenticeship shake up

14 March 2018

Vice-Chancellor calls for ‘modular apprenticeships’ to develop bespoke programmes, custom-made for business needs One in three (32%) business leaders want apprenticeships with greater flexibility New approach would put employers in control, as well as addressing existing concerns about content and adaptability Today Peter Horrocks, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, will call for a relaxation of […]

Search for methane on Mars starts as ExoMars Mission reaches final orbit

13 March 2018

After a year of extremely dangerous aerobraking, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) will reach its final orbit and start collecting data from the atmosphere of Mars. Onboard the Orbiter is an instrument developed by academics from The Open University. Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) will ‘sniff’ the atmosphere for methane – a […]

I befriend women detained at Yarl’s Wood: their life in immigration limbo is excruciating

12 March 2018

“Why am I still here?” This is the question I’m most frequently asked by detained women who I’ve befriended at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire. The centre is mainly for women, but also holds families with children over 18-years-old and has a short-term holding facility for men. For nearly two years, I’ve been […]

Sharenting: why mothers post about their children on social media

12 March 2018

On Mother’s Day, social media feeds are often full of celebration. Facebook reported that in 2017, Mother’s Day “drove more posts in a single day than any other topic on Facebook in the last year”. For some countries, Facebook even created a temporary emoji – the purple flower – so people could fully express their […]

It’s time to work together to make apprenticeships work

8 March 2018

With new statistics showing a lack of faith in the UK government’s apprenticeship target, the OU presses for joined up working to enable the scheme to succeed in this National Apprenticeship Week. A survey by the Chartered Management Institute found that nearly half of managers surveyed believed the UK government is unlikely to reach its […]

Homeless people could avoid life-saving services, if there’s a risk of deportation

8 March 2018

As the UK was hit by snow and freezing temperatures last week, more beds in shelters were made available, and people in England and Wales were advised to use the StreetLink app and helpline to report rough sleepers. The project sets out to ensure that no one in a wealthy country dies of cold because […]

‘Open’ education – a celebration of knowledge sharing

7 March 2018

Education is all about sharing; sharing information and sharing knowledge. Open Education Week (Monday 5 – Friday 9 March 2018) is a celebration of the global Open Education Movement. Its goal is to raise awareness of the Open Education movement, which combines learning with modern technologies, such as the internet, so that anyone can share education resources and […]

OU celebrates 20 years of teaching law

7 March 2018

The Open University (OU) is this year marking the 20th anniversary of welcoming its first ever in-take of law students. On the 7th February 1998, 861 students started the first ever Open University law course – W200 Understanding Law – which was delivered through a partnership with the College of Law. It was the first […]

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