The Open University

Alison shares how a short course from the OU and FutureLearn helped her level up at work

“I use the skills I developed through the microcredential every day at work!”

29 March 2022

When Alison McLachlan began learning online during lockdown, she had no idea she’d be applying her new skills so quickly at work. She signed up for an Open University (OU) microcredential short course via the OU’s social learning platform, FutureLearn, while on furlough, but was back at work before she knew it, juggling her career […]

Wave of student scholarships launched giving chance for free study

28 March 2022

A series of student support scholarships, worth more than £2.6 million, and designed to open doors for people who might not otherwise be able to afford a degree, are available to apply for from today through The Open University (OU). The Open Futures Fund provides life-changing scholarships, bursaries, and support to disabled veterans, Black […]

Ground-breaking survey seeks better understanding of how early pregnancy endings impact a woman’s working life

28 March 2022

The Open University is leading a research project that aims to positively change women’s experiences at work after an early pregnancy ending. Jo Brewis, Professor of People and Organisations, is encouraging women, transgender men and other gender diverse people who have experienced an early end to a pregnancy during paid employment to take part in […]

Spring Statement 2022: quick analysis about standards of living, energy crisis and more – from experts

25 March 2022

Keith Baker, Glasgow Caledonian University; Cam Donaldson FRSE, Glasgow Caledonian University; Ernestine Gheyoh Ndzi, York St John University; Gavin Midgley, University of Southampton; Jonquil Lowe, The Open University; Karen Bloor, University of York; Karl Schmedders, International Institute for Management Development (IMD); Peter Bloom, University of Essex; Phil Tomlinson, University of Bath; Renaud Foucart, Lancaster University; […]

OU academic reveals the biggest threats to Putin at home and abroad

25 March 2022

What next for Putin, the oligarchs and the Russian economy in the light of the economic sanctions? Alan Shipman, a Senior Lecturer in Economics at The Open University, is a former ‘emerging markets’ analyst who’s watched Russia’s slide from star performer in the early 2000s to oil-dependent stagnation since 2010. He sheds some light on […]

Nuclear energy research to boost innovation and reduce risk

24 March 2022

The risk and cost of developing new nuclear energy technologies could be reduced, thanks to a new research project bringing together scientists from the UK and India, including experts from The Open University. The four-year project – called Enhanced Methodologies for Advanced Nuclear System Safety (EMEANSS) – will use experimental data and machine learning to […]

Entrepreneur Nick shares his story of ambition

‘I launched a start-up alongside my OU studies’

23 March 2022

Entrepreneur and Business Studies graduate Nick Bassan says The Open University was the perfect place to launch his smart-tech clothing brand. After two attempts at university, Nick, 29, says the OU gave him the flexibility he needed to achieve a degree – all while continuing to grow his business. “I was able to apply learnings […]

OU launches Centre for the Study of Global Development

23 March 2022

The Open University (OU) has launched a new centre, which will aim to advance human wellbeing through global development research. The Centre for the Study of Global Development (CSGD) will support researchers, practitioners, thought leaders and policy makers to share knowledge and research evidence. The centre will have five hubs – health and wellbeing; language […]

From Z to Q: when letters become political symbols

21 March 2022

Written by Philip Seargeant, Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at The Open University Painted on the side of tanks and emblazoned on the shirt of Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak, the letter Z has come to represent support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has even been incorporated into the spelling of place names such as […]

“I poured my heart out onto the page writing about infertility for my Creative Writing MA”

21 March 2022

Samantha Holmes signed up for an MA in Creative Writing with The Open University as a distraction from the challenging IVF journey her and her husband were on. She used her writing to open up about their fertility battle, which she found cathartic, but which also raised awareness of infertility – a struggle faced by […]

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