The Open University

OU Vice-Chancellor announces he is to stand down

13 April 2018

Announcement from the Vice-Chancellor I am announcing that I am standing down as Vice-Chancellor of The Open University with immediate effect. The statement from the Pro-Chancellor acknowledges generously my role in persuading the University of the case for significant change, to help improve outcomes for students, to future-proof our radical University and to ensure financial […]

From cleaner to environment manager, Faye says her degree is “so worth it”

13 April 2018

Faye Tester went from being a cleaner at a gas distribution firm, SGN, and an extra on TV, to supporting the management of the company’s environmental compliance and procedures. She completely changed her life and says that, if it wasn’t for her Environmental Management and Technology degree with The Open University, she would never have […]

New ‘snap evaporation’ process controls how liquids dry

11 April 2018

Scientists at The Open University (OU) and Northumbria University have discovered a new process called ‘snap evaporation’ – that controls how liquid droplets dry by adjusting their shape and size. This is important because it could affect many everyday tasks, such as minimising watermarks on cars and removing heat from microprocessors within smartphones and computers. […]

Apprenticeship accounts have £1.28 billion stockpiled, OU analysis reveals

6 April 2018

More than £1.28 billion of the funding that has been paid into the apprenticeship levy is still sitting in National Apprenticeship Service accounts, new data analysis commissioned by The Open University has found. The analysis revealed organisations in England have withdrawn just £108m of the massive £1.39 billion they have paid into the apprenticeship levy. Meanwhile, […]

7 things you should know about cyber security

6 April 2018

When we think of cyber security many of us think it only relates to big organisations. But our computers, modern TVs, smart phones, tablets, and even some of our household utilities all connect to the internet enabling potential access to our personal data. Knowing how to protect yourself against a cyber-attack can seem overwhelming. Senior […]

Why the unlawful use of personal data matters

4 April 2018

Data, and its misuse, has become commonplace in the media headlines recently. Anne Wesemann, Lecturer in Law at The Open University Business School takes a look at one recent data privacy storm, and explains the implications on democracy of the unlawful use of personal data. A complex data storm “The Cambridge Analytica whistleblowing storm is […]

Discovering psychology led Andrew to a new career

2 April 2018

Growing up in North London, Andrew, 49, didn’t enjoy the academic side of school and left at 16 with 11 O-Levels. After a spell in retail and a long career in IT, he made a dramatic change to his working life. After a family bereavement opened up the world of psychology to him, he decided […]

photograph of UK military personnel marching

Fund opens for Disabled Veterans offering free study

1 April 2018

A new fund has been launched at The Open University especially for former services personnel who have been disabled in or as a result of military service. The fund is the first of its kind in the UK dedicated to furthering the education of the men and women who have become disabled due to their […]

Anne overcomes adversity to reach her graduation goal

29 March 2018

Anne is 69 and has wanted to achieve her degree her entire adult life. Having left school at 15 and started her career as a telephonist and receptionist, she married and gave birth to her daughter, Sandra. After her husband sadly passed in 1984, she battled with bladder cancer and severe arthritis. Recovering after years […]

Moon offers clues to life beyond our solar system

28 March 2018

You might think that comparing rocks from the Earth and the Moon would be like comparing chalk and cheese, but new research led by academics at the OU has discovered that in many ways, they are almost the same. What’s so great about that? As lead author and Research Fellow, Dr Richard Greenwood, explains this […]

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