The Open University

‘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 […]

Award-winning author and broadcaster is keynote speaker at OU global challenges festival

8 June 2023

Gary Younge is one of the headliners at a four-day hybrid festival staged at the OU to give voice to research into real-life global challenges and social justice to aid change. The former Guardian columnist, who is also a Professor of sociology at the University of Manchester, has made several radio and TV documentaries on […]

The Benefits of Writing Flash-Fiction for Busy Writers and Readers

8 June 2023

The OU is due to launch its forthcoming flash-fiction competition #OU50words. The multi-award-winning campaign invites those interested to write a piece of flash-fiction in no more than 50 words, in response to the university’s daily video writing prompt. To support the competition, OU academic Dr Emily Bullock shares the below content about the benefits of […]

Award success for entrepreneurial graduate

7 June 2023

Open University graduate and tech entrepreneur James Markey has won a prize at the Santander X Global Awards, Santander’s prestigious international university entrepreneurship competition with his company UNI SIM. The Santander X Global Awards brings together the best start-ups across Europe and South America to compete to win funding and support to help develop their businesses. […]

The Art of Brevity: 5 Benefits of Writing Flash-Fiction

6 June 2023

The OU is due to launch its forthcoming flash fiction competition #OU50words. The multi-award-winning campaign invites those interested to write a piece of flash fiction in no more than 50 words, in response to the university’s daily video writing prompt. To support the competition, OU academic Dr Samuel Sargeant shares the below content about the […]

Flash Fiction: Literature’s Delinquent Offspring

6 June 2023

The OU is due to launch its forthcoming flash fiction competition #OU50words. The multi-award-winning campaign invites those interested to write a piece of flash fiction in no more than 50 words, in response to the university’s daily video writing prompt. To support the competition, OU academic Gwyneth Jones shares the content below about ‘Literature’s Delinquent […]

Award-winning 50-word flash fiction competition returns!

5 June 2023

Back by popular demand, our multi-award-winning flash fiction competition #OU50words is returning to The Open University’s social media channels. Every day for seven days (starting on Monday 12 June) we’ll be sharing a different storytelling prompt designed to inspire you to forge a 50-word, fictional footpath. We invited award-winning photographer Laura Jones from Atmospheric Images to spend […]

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