The Open University

Music and mental health: the parallels between Victorian asylum treatments and modern social prescribing

10 March 2023

Rosemary Golding is a senior lecturer in music at The Open University who reveals here her fascinating research in how music was used to help patients in Victorian asylums with their mental health. Music has a powerful effect on the listener. It is linked to better mental health, and it has been shown to alleviate […]

Delving deep into the history of Welsh music

28 February 2023

Welsh Open University Music academics lent not just their individual expertise but their origins to help inform programme makers about Wales, ‘the land of song’, and the history of Welsh music in a BBC / OU co-production. ‘Wales: Music Nation with Huw Stephens’ looks at aspects of the musical history of Wales and is presented […]

Russo-Ukraine conflict one year on

24 February 2023

Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody is a lecturer in politics and international studies at the OU and specialises in communication, misinformation and security, particularly in Russia. Here she looks back on a year of war in Ukraine – lessons learned and reasons for an increasingly isolated Russia. Russia’s stated aim in invading Ukraine in 2022 was to […]

The path of Plath: Sylvia’s work more enduring 60 years on from her death

10 February 2023

It’s 60 years since the celebrated poet Sylvia Plath died, yet her work has become more enduring with the passage of time. Here Dr Jane Yeh, a lecturer in creative writing at The Open University, and an accomplished poet herself, tells us why. Sylvia Plath is the poet people most are likely to have come […]

Artemis is a new body suit for period pain – here’s why it’s named after a Greek goddess

9 February 2023

Helen King, Professor Emerita of Classical Studies at The Open University, shares her knowledge of the Greek goddess Artemis whose name has been adopted by the makers of the latest garment used to ease period pain. A new body suit to control period pain is in the pipeline – and it’s called Artemis. Named after […]

Looking back on three years of Brexit

3 February 2023

It’s three years since Brexit so we asked professor of foreign policy and international relations Jamie Gaskarth to look back to see what has been achieved. Before Brexit, Britain was in a uniquely favourable position in global terms. Its closest ally, the United States, was the most powerful military actor in the world. Britain was […]

Ukraine: why supply of US and German tanks echoes cold war

26 January 2023

Dr David Grummitt is an Open University staff tutor in history and a military historian. Here he talks about Germany’s latest decision to allow its Leopard 2 tanks to be exported to Ukraine and what it could mean. The decision that Germany and the US will allow the export of M1 Abrams and Leopard 2 […]

Sexual misconduct in the UK Parliament – research shows pathway to change

17 January 2023

A first-of-its-kind research book shines a light on the experiences of women who have been affected by sexual misconduct while working in the UK Parliament. The research looks at what could be done to create the conditions for change and gives voice to many whistle-blowers and survivors of sexual harassment who bravely shared their stories. […]

Ways that can help you stop feeling blue about finances in 2023

9 January 2023

Jonquil Lowe is a senior lecturer in economics at the OU and specialises in personal finance. Here she provides some New Year tips for those likely to struggle in 2023 and for others who could ease their load. Stats show over a third of UK households, that’s 10.8 million, are struggling or in serious difficulties […]

China’s increasing economic ties with the Gulf states are reducing the west’s sway in the Middle East

23 December 2022

Dr Emilie Rutledge is an economist at The Open University who has held research and consulting positions in the Middle East for 12 years. Here she talks about the increasingly close relationship between China and the Gulf states. At the end of November 2022, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak announced that the “golden era” between […]

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