The Open University

OU/BBC series explores the language of William Shakespeare

23 January 2016

Have you ever wondered why a person might wear their heart on their sleeve? Or why the world is your oyster? These literary expressions – and hundreds more – that still feature in everyday conversations are the invention of one of the greatest writers and the subject of a new OU/BBC series, Shakespeare Speaks. 20 […]

Finding out why women don’t rise to the top of the UK’s IT crowd

22 January 2016

Where are all the top women in IT in the UK? OU research is investigating this very question to see why there is a lack of women working in highly-skilled roles in the tech sector. The team will compare the UK and India, looking at the employment of women in this industry in both countries. […]

Hand holding up two scales. Image credit: Thinkstock

‘Enormously damaging’: OU experts on inequality and poverty report

21 January 2016

Global inequality is reaching new extremes, according to a new report by Oxfam which states that the richest one per cent of the population have more wealth than the rest of the world combined. The report puts power, privilege and the plight against poverty under the microscope and claims “the fight against poverty will not […]

Are personal computers on their way out?

21 January 2016

As the media reports a record fall in sales of personal computers, Andrew Smith, Senior Lecturer in Networking at The Open University, writes about the changing needs and wants of consumers when it comes to tech… As global technology media lament the record decline in Personal Computer (PC) sales, I am sitting here in my […]

Open University women honoured in Royal Astronomical Society portraits

18 January 2016

100 years ago women finally won the right to be elected to fellowship of the Royal Astronomical Society. To celebrate this anniversary, the society has commissioned 21 portraits of leading women in contemporary astronomy, which includes three academics from The Open University – more than any other institution represented. […]

Row of Iran Flags in Front of Tehran Skyline

Stability and cooperation is an asset for Iran, as tough sanctions are lifted

18 January 2016

Dr Edward Wastnidge, Lecturer in Politics and International Studies, outlines the importance of sanctions against Iran being lifted… The lifting of punitive economic sanctions against Iran is an important moment, not only due to the economic benefits that the Islamic Republic should see as a result, but also in terms of the wider political shift […]

Row of university graduates holding their scrolls. Image: Thinkstock

OU says Government must consider all study options

15 January 2016

The Open University has called on the Government to make sure it considers the full range of study options available to students as it develops its higher education policy. In November 2015, the Government published a Green Paper on the future of higher education, with a focus on giving students greater choice and encouraging inclusivity. The document […]

Girl doing computer research in a library. Image credit: Thinkstock

Useful tool or approach with caution? 15 years of Wikipedia

15 January 2016

As Wikipedia celebrates its 15th anniversary, OU Learning and Teaching Librarian Geraldine Smith explains the pros and cons of using it for study… Wikipedia celebrates being 15 years old on 15th January 2016. What it is? Set up in 2001 Wikipedia is one of the largest reference websites on the internet and as of September […]

Pregnant woman, holding in hands bouquet of daisy. Image credit: Thinkstock

‘50% increased risk of miscarriage’ due to thrush drug? OU statistician reveals the real risk to pregnant women

12 January 2016

Professor Kevin McConway, Professor of Applied Statistics, writes about the numbers behind the headlines and reveals the real risk of miscarriage to pregnant women who are taking a particular drug to treat thrush is nowhere near 50%… A recent article in the Daily Mail with the worrying headline “Pregnant women who take drug to treat […]

David Bowie: A bio-obituary

12 January 2016

“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring,” said the late David Bowie back in 1997. It’s a poignant statement given his death, aged 69, this week after an 18-month battle with cancer. And the OU’s Dr Frank Monaghan says it’s as applicable to his art as it […]

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