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News from The Open University

The OU’s 2016 TV and Radio Blockbusters

The OU’s 2016 TV and Radio Blockbusters

A raft of award winning television and radio programmes co-produced with the BBC in 2016 inspired and informed us. Here are some of the highlights from this year: Celebrating Shakespeare The 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death saw the OU team up with the BBC, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the British Council to produce a […]

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Top 10 YouTube videos from 2016

Top 10 YouTube videos from 2016

Millions of people have watched the OU’s YouTube videos from our OpenLearn channel. Here’s our 2016 Editor’s Choice, and the top ten downloads from the past 12 months. 2016 editor’s choice Exploring Religion in London As part of our Exploring Religion in London series, take a look at the capital’s oldest surviving synagogue, built in […]

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Definition of word fascism in dictionary

The world’s words of the year pass judgement on a dark, surreal 2016

Every December, lexicographers around the world choose their “words of the year”, and this year, perhaps more than ever, the stories these tell provide a fascinating insight into how we’ve experienced the drama and trauma of the last 12 months. 2016 had potential. It was 500 years ago that Thomas More wrote his Utopia, and […]

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OU research to STRETCH the boundaries of supported homecare for older adults

OU research to STRETCH the boundaries of supported homecare for older adults

Researchers at the OU have launched a million-pound research programme that will redefine homecare for older adults recovering from hospital treatment. STRETCH (Socio-Technical Resilience for Enhancing Targeted Community Healthcare) aims to coordinate ‘circles’ of support for older adults. These include carers and medical professionals, relatives and neighbours, and the voluntary sector, and would be co-ordinated […]

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Artist's impression of the planet orbiting Proxima Centauri

Astronomy research from the OU among Physics World 2016 top breakthroughs

The discovery of a planet orbiting our nearest star, Proxima Centauri, has been highly commended among Physics World 2016 top 10 breakthroughs. As part of an international team of astronomers, Postdoctoral Researcher at The Open University, Dr John Barnes, was instrumental in establishing that the observed ‘wobble’ of Proxima Centauri was caused by a nearby […]

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Athena Swan Awards winners from The Open University

OU wins four gender equality Athena SWAN Awards

The Open University has collected four Bronze Athena SWAN awards,  in recognition of its ongoing commitment to gender equality for all staff and students across the newly launched (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) STEM faculty. Commitment to extending equality scheme Chair of the OU’s STEM Gender Equality Group (SGEG), Dr Clem Herman, said she was thrilled to […]

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Humanitarian response

OU launches international online course for humanitarian sector

A growing number of emergencies in developing and developed nations has increased the demand for front-line humanitarian managers with key leadership skills. Often being posted to the most challenging regions and working under great pressure, these managers are responsible for making life-saving decisions at speed. Global scope to new online course Recognising the importance of ensuring managers […]

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OU grad’s study inspired by humanitarian work

OU grad’s study inspired by humanitarian work

Open University graduate Ines Katic-Vrdoljak, from Sarajevo, saw first-hand the difference humanitarian aid can make when she worked on deliveries to those impacted by the Bosnian War in the mid 1990s. Supporting the OU’s focus on Human Rights Week, Ines explains how the volunteer work she undertook led her to study both a BSc and […]

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The Open University in Scotland, The Scotsman

Taking students on a ‘learner journey’

This article is by Learning and Teaching Co-ordinator at The Open University in Scotland, Joan Thomson, and was originally published in The Scotsman. The “learner journey” is a concept which crops up in most of the literature on education policy. It’s not exactly the most user-friendly of phrases – I wonder how many students would recognise […]

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Tributes to Gary Slapper, the first Head of the Law School at The Open University

Tributes to Gary Slapper, the first Head of the Law School at The Open University

Professor Gary Slapper, the first Head of the Law School at The Open University, has died. Gary joined The Open University in 1997 and maintained his links with the OU as a Visiting Professor after leaving in 2011 to take up a post as Director of New York University, London. Professor Rebecca Taylor, Executive Dean […]

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