The Open University

Trump’s use of the National Guard against LA protesters defies all precedents

10 June 2025

Dr Sinead McEneaney, Senior Lecturer in History at The Open University, debates President Trump’s latest stance in LA against protesters over immigration raids and shares the historical background regarding the Insurrection Act and National Guard. Violence has erupted on the streets of cities across southern California over the weekend, as protesters clashed with agents from the […]

Five Books to read if you like apocalyptic fiction

9 June 2025

With the release of the movie 28 Years later this month, you may find yourself craving apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. Here are some suggestions from The Open University’s Jennie Owen, Lecturer in Creative Writing. These page-turners include pandemics, monsters and environmental collapse, and are guaranteed to have you both horrified and gripped. 1. Parable of […]

Wildlife lovers’ favourite, Springwatch, is back for its 20th season

23 May 2025

The ever-popular OU/BBC programme Springwatch is back with a brand new series, this time celebrating its 20th anniversary. Springwatch begins on 26th May at 8pm on BBC Two, with new episodes shown Mondays – Thursdays across the next three weeks. You can also catch up on episodes via BBC iPlayer. As Springwatch embarks on their […]

The UK might have accepted the idea of youth mobility with the EU, but it’s not happening any time soon

20 May 2025

The language might be dry, but the political shift is significant says Simon Usherwood, Professor of Politics & International Studies, The Open University. Monday’s summit between the UK and EU leaders in London resulted in an acknowledgement of the “mutual interest to deepen our people-to-people ties, particularly for the younger generation”. This announcement is an important […]

How to navigate modern life – mental health and wellbeing programme

12 May 2025

Mental health and wellbeing are the subjects covered by The Open University/BBC co-production ‘Change Your Mind, Change Your Life’ which airs from Tuesday 13 May at 23:00 on BBC One and at 23:50 in Northern Ireland. All episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer from Tues 13 May. OU academics Professor Andreas Vossler and Professor […]

Five books about modern war

28 April 2025

As Russia’s war on Ukraine continues to dominate the media, reports from the front lines show uncannily familiar scenes of soldiers living in trenches like their counterparts in the First World War. As stories of deals, betrayal and high politics lead the news agenda, it’s important to think about the human cost of conflict says […]

Television wasn’t the death knell for cinema – and that holds lessons for the creative industries and AI

17 April 2025

As television grew rapidly in popularity in the second half of the 20th century, many people assumed it would cause a knock-on crisis for the film industry. After all, it meant that viewers no longer had to leave their sofas to enjoy onscreen entertainment, says Mark Fryers, Lecturer in Film and Media. But the reality […]

Athol Fugard: the great South African playwright who captured what it means to be human

10 March 2025

I was shocked to learn that the famous South African writer Athol Fugard had passed away. I had known his age to be 92 but somehow I never expected him to die. He was always a survivor, says Dennis Walder, Emeritus Professor of Literature at The Open University. When I think about Fugard, the first […]

Russia’s militarisation of young Ukrainians risks long-term peace: academic comment

21 February 2025

While decisionmakers in Europe and the US wrestle with a roadmap to lasting peace in Ukraine an Open University academic says they need to understand the future threat posed by Russian militarisation of young people in occupied territories. As we approach the third anniversary of the war, Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody says Russia is attempting to […]

OU contributes to major Government ‘CreaTech’ report

13 February 2025

The Open University (OU) has contributed to a major new government report, The Coronation Challenge: CreaTech Report, by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and the Royal Anniversary Trust. The Report explores how the combination of creativity and emerging technologies, known as CreaTech, can drive innovation, create jobs, and position the UK […]

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