The Open University

The Open University celebrates 50th anniversary of its first graduation ceremony

23 June 2023

The Open University (OU) is celebrating the anniversary of its first graduation ceremony which took place on 23 June, 50 years ago. In the summer of 1973, 600 graduates arrived in London’s Alexandra Palace to be awarded their degrees, an occasion that was broadcast live on BBC2. One such individual was Michael Shaw, who joined […]

50 years on – Michael looks back on the OU’s “awe-inspiring” first graduation ceremony

23 June 2023

In 1973, Michael Shaw and fellow pioneer students made history by crossing the stage at The Open University’s first graduation ceremony at Alexandra Palace. Fifty years since graduating, retired head teacher Michael shares how at 82 with an esteemed teaching career behind him, collecting his OU degree scroll is still one of his proudest moments. […]

A trio of images highlight BepiColombo’s third Mercury flyby

20 June 2023

The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has made its third of six gravity assist flybys at Mercury, snapping images of a newly named impact crater as well as tectonic and volcanic curiosities as it adjusts its trajectory for entering Mercury orbit in 2025. The closest approach took place at 19:34 UTC (21:34 CEST) on 19 June 2023, […]

Mission accomplished! Scientist’s joy at being handpicked for European Space Agency role

20 June 2023

An Open University scientist has been handpicked by the European Space Agency (ESA) and offered a Fellowship to continue her studies into how the surface of Mars is shaped by wind. Dr Elena Favaro is a postdoctoral research assistant at the OU who specialises in aeolian geomorphology – the process by which wind contributes to […]

young woman standing in front of graffiti wall.

‘I’ve made life-long friends through the OU’

20 June 2023

After recently moving to the UK, Khudayja, 25, hadn’t expected that her BA (Honours) English Literature and Creative Writing degree at The Open University (OU) would introduce her to life-long friends and a huge community of fellow book lovers. “I moved to the UK from Pakistan with my family four years ago. My family are […]

Two men dressed in coats and hats, one holding a camera

‘OU study has changed me,’ says globe-trotting adventurer

20 June 2023

Presenter and content creator, Gwilym, 38, travels the world to share his experience of climate change and its impact on the environment and nature. After wanting to better understand the sights that he was seeing, Gwilym chose to study a BSc (Honours) Environmental Science with The Open University (OU). As he nears the end of […]

‘A health scare pushed me to pursue my dreams’

20 June 2023

After a life-threatening illness, Lisa, 43, took the leap and enrolled to study a BA (Honours) Early Childhood with The Open University (OU). Since then, she’s never looked back and says her degree has helped her to land three promotions at work. Mum of two, Lisa was working term-time in a nursery when in the […]

Windrush – portraying the lives of a generation

19 June 2023

A new Open University/BBC co-production programme this week shows the work of artists, commissioned by His Majesty The King to produce portraits of people from the Windrush generation. The works of art commemorate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush, a ship that docked in Tilbury on 22 June 1948, bringing […]

A new Tatooine-like multi-planetary system identified

12 June 2023

An international team of astronomers, including a researcher from The Open University has announced the second-ever discovery of a multiplanetary circumbinary system. Circumbinary systems contain planets that orbit around two stars in the centre instead of just one, like in our Solar System. Circumbinary planets orbit around both stars at once. The discovery is reported […]

Women Leaders Awards 2023 – Dr Liz Marr wins award

9 June 2023

Dr Liz Marr, our Pro-Vice Chancellor for Students up until her retirement in May, has just been given a coveted accolade at the Women Leaders 2023 Awards, Milton Keynes, in the category of skills education and training. The ceremony, which took place at Milton Keynes Stadium, recognised women leaders over a large range of categories […]

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