The Open University

No holds barred for Roy when it comes to lifelong learning

13 September 2021

From lessons in cyber security to secrets of the night sky, 93-year-old pensioner Roy Palmer has enjoyed more than 60 free courses online to keep up learning in his later years. The Cheltenham care home resident has gained knowledge and been entertained by the wealth of courses he’s taken on the OU’s home of free […]

OU students share their best study advice

13 September 2021

Whether it’s from a friend, family member or tutor, getting some tried and tested advice can help to get you through those tough study moments. We asked OU students on Instagram to share their best study advice and here’s what they said: 1. Set yourself small goals Setting some achievable goals can help keep you […]

Asteroid is officially named after The Open University

10 September 2021

Academics in the School of Physical Sciences are celebrating after learning that an asteroid situated more than 126 million miles from Earth has finally been named after The Open University. Two years ago, professors Simon Green and Andrew Norton set out to name asteroid number 69423 ‘Openuni’ in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the […]

Engineer Lauren: ‘The OU helps me achieve new heights’

9 September 2021

When Lauren Powell, 27, isn’t studying for her BSc (Hons) Combined STEM degree at The Open University, she’s helping to keep planes flying safely as an aeronautical quality engineer. Lauren shares why combining work and study has enabled her to achieve heights she never dreamed possible: “I started a degree at a brick university when I […]

Talk about distance learning – the OU student tackling climate change in Antarctica

8 September 2021

Alex Coniff, 29, is taking supported distance learning to a whole new level by studying for his Open University Engineering degree while tackling climate change in Antarctica. Alex works as a facilities engineer for the Rothera Research Station, the largest British Antarctic facility based in the Antarctic Peninsula. His role sees him spend long periods […]

New OU/ BBC co-pro charts the rise of the Premier League

3 September 2021

As English football entered the 1990s, the game was in crisis. The golden days of the post-war era had long gone. Attendances were in decline and England’s best talent was moving abroad in search of better football and better pay. Something needed to be done, and fast. That something was the birth of the Premier […]

Actress, Angelina Jolie holding a copy of the book, Know Your Rights and Claim Them

Amnesty International book supported by OU research publishes today

2 September 2021

A book by Amnesty International, Angelina Jolie and Professor Geraldine Van Bueren about children’s rights is published today. Original conception of Know Your Rights and Claim Them was shaped by The Open University’s Children’s Research Centre’s (OUCRC) report, which explored the representation of children’s rights from discussion through to illustration and interpretation. After nearly two […]

copyright: BFI, BFI National Archive, John Paul Getty Jnr Conservation Centre

OU and BFI announce new partnership with a programme of short film courses

27 August 2021

The Open University and the British Film Institute (BFI) are delighted to announce a new partnership, with the first offering being three stand-alone short courses aimed at those with a keen interest in film and the media. Reading the screen: an introduction to the art of film and Media, Politics and Society launch in October this […]

Image of a globe laying amongst dollar notes

Jackson Hole: the world’s central bankers have plenty to discuss after such an expensive pandemic

27 August 2021

Alan Shipman, Senior Lecturer in Economics at The Open University, writes for The Conversation about the upcoming of the annual meeting of the world’s central banks, which will be held online this year. The world’s central bankers won’t be riding into town to save the world this year. Their annual gathering in the US, at […]

Domestic homicides remain stable during lockdown but still an enduring problem says new report commissioned by police

25 August 2021

Domestic homicides remain an ‘entrenched and enduring problem’ despite figures remaining relatively stable during lockdown, a new report drawing on research by an OU academic and commissioned by police has found. ‘Domestic Homicides and Suspected Victim Suicides During the Covid-19 Pandemic 2020-2021’ is the first report of the Domestic Homicide Project, established by the National […]

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