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Centre for Protecting Women Online at The Open University responds to Government’s VAWG Strategy

Centre for Protecting Women Online at The Open University responds to Government’s VAWG Strategy

The Centre for Protecting Women Online at The Open University has welcomed the Government’s recognition that online abuse and tech-facilitated violence are central to women and girls’ lived experiences, but warned that the new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy risks treating digital abuse as a peripheral issue. While the Strategy sets out an […]

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Scheme to train more nurses wins prestigious prize

Scheme to train more nurses wins prestigious prize

A unique partnership between the NHS and The Open University to give people the opportunity to study for a nursing degree while training on the job has scooped a top national award. Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and The Open University joined forces in July 2024 to give local people who had always […]

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Photo by Jay Antol, Unsplash

Mini course about mental health is fastest growing on OU free learning site

Bite-sized learning about mental health in the 21st century is capturing interest at The Open University by becoming one of its most popular free courses in the past year.  The OU’s free learning site OpenLearn held an audit of its wealth of short online courses over the past 12 months and found an incredible 13.3 million visits recorded.   Topping the list of the most popular free courses launched in […]

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Why Jane Austen readers still leave letters at her graveside

Why Jane Austen readers still leave letters at her graveside

When Jane Austen died in July 1817, aged just 41, she was buried in Winchester Cathedral. I moved to the city in 2025. As a lecturer in English literature, I have long researched and taught Austen’s novels, so I was keen to visit her final resting place, says Naomi Walker, Associate Lecturer in English Literature, […]

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‘Now I’m a CEO – OU study gave me the confidence and skills I needed to get there!’

‘Now I’m a CEO – OU study gave me the confidence and skills I needed to get there!’

Describing his work experience as “eclectic”, Jack, 44, yearned for a role where he could lean into a diverse set of professional interests. Trusting that further learning would unlock the opportunity he craved, Jack juggled work, study and family life to achieve his MBA (Technology Management) with The Open University. Jack shares how OU study […]

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OU space researchers awarded £1.2 Million to advance imaging technology supporting the future human exploration of Mars

OU space researchers awarded £1.2 Million to advance imaging technology supporting the future human exploration of Mars

Professor Manish Patel from The Open University (OU) has been awarded £1.2 million in new funding from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) to continue developing cutting-edge imaging technology that will play a central role in future human exploration of Mars. The funding supports the next phase of work on a combined visible-infrared (IR) imager for […]

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Photo of OU graduate Jonathan at his degree ceremony in Manchester.

“I love learning now – I hated education before, and the OU changed that.”

When Psychology Masters graduate Jonathan left home aged 18, he was looking forward to the adventures university life would bring. By his second year, what started as an occasional flutter for fun had descended into a serious gambling habit that took hold of Jonathan’s life. Now 30, Jonathan is free of gambling and works for […]

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New online courses added to global programme on tackling antimicrobial resistance

New online courses added to global programme on tackling antimicrobial resistance

A free online programme developed by The Open University (OU) and the Fleming Fund has been updated with four new courses to complement the existing 25 courses, providing a comprehensive professional learning package to strengthen the global response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The online professional development programme Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance supports practitioners in adapting, building […]

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From shepherding in Nepal to an Open University degree – London man’s journey

From shepherding in Nepal to an Open University degree – London man’s journey

Barnet Borough councillor and semi-retired businessman Lachhya Gurung could never have predicted his journey of discovery from a teenage shepherd in a remote Nepalese village to a London home and now an Open University degree. The former Gurkha was the fourth of five sons who were born and brought up by their parents in scenic […]

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EStars/OU course image, copyright OU

New esports course launched by industry leader EStars in collaboration with The Open University

Leading educational esports company EStars is teaming up with The Open University (OU) to offer online CPD training for teachers, to enhance their knowledge and expertise in the esports sector. Esports is now one of the fastest-growing industries in the world — a multi-billion-dollar sector creating countless career pathways in game design, event production, marketing, […]

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