The Open University

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 […]

Today’s winter wonderlands have roots in Jacobean and Georgian frost fairs

22 December 2022

Dr Clare Taylor is a senior lecturer in art history at the OU – here she gives an insight into the origins of winter wonderlands and tells us how they became so popular. Skating rinks, funfairs and booths serving hot food and drink spring up across many cities in December. But these festivities aren’t a […]

Virtual reality setting showing three scans of the human body

OU secures £5.8m to build extended reality studio

8 December 2022

The Open University (OU) has secured funding of £5.8m from the Office for Students to develop extended reality studios to expand its teaching and learning with augmented and virtual reality. Open XR Studios will feature state-of-the-art equipment to capture, reproduce and render 4D imagery. It will deliver immersive and reality-embedded learning to students in their […]

Sunak’s first major foreign policy speech “worryingly divorced from reality”, says OU academic

1 December 2022

An OU academic has criticised the Prime Minister’s foreign policy speech at London’s Guildhall delivered recently. Professor Jamie Gaskarth, Professor of foreign policy and international relations, says there was no mention of the economic crisis the UK is facing; no recognition that the aid budget has been gutted and that proposed increases in defence will […]

Landmark exhibition on the history of Chinese communities in Britain opens at the British Library

22 November 2022

A fascinating exhibition, co-curated by an OU academic, that celebrates 300 years of the history of Chinese communities living in Britain has opened at the British Library in London. Chinese and British runs until 23 April next year and was put together by Dr Alex Tickell, Senior Lecturer in English at the OU, and Dr Lucienne […]

The good the bad and the ugly of the Autumn Statement

18 November 2022

By Jonquil Lowe, Senior Economics lecturer, personal finance Leaks in the run-up to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement primed us all to expect the worst, but his announcement was surprisingly upbeat. It included: Spending increases to protect public services Further help for all with energy costs, a repeat next year of targeted cost-of-living support And assurances […]

Double award win for BBC/ OU co-productions

15 November 2022

Two programmes co-produced by The Open University and BBC have won accolades at this year’s Grierson Awards. The Green Planet: Tropical Worlds secured ‘Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary’. The landmark natural history series, presented by Sir David Attenborough was an immersive portrayal of an unseen, inter-connected world, full of remarkable new behaviour, emotional stories […]

OpenLearn marks UK Parliament Week with new ‘social change’ course

14 November 2022

If you want to know how to make political and social change then The Open University’s OpenLearn platform has the answer. In celebration of the annual UK Parliament Week, from 14-20 November, which the OU partners with, OpenLearn is highlighting a new course designed for the young and old titled: Introduction to making political and […]

OU student Karen is studying to grow her health coaching business

‘I turned my blogging hobby into a business’ says OU student entrepreneur

14 November 2022

When Karen Oliver, 31, lost her job due to illness, she turned her health blog into a coaching business to support those struggling with eating disorders. She’s now studying Psychology part-time with The Open University and says the support she’s received as a busy entrepreneur and single parent is taking her business to the next […]

Rumour Has It… that Adele wants to take on a distance-learning degree

7 November 2022

Singing superstar Adele caused a flurry of interest recently when she admitted she has dreams of studying for a distance-learning degree in English Literature when her Las Vegas residency show ends. Her comments fell in the run up to Lifelong Learning Week, which runs from today, 7 November, and is designed to celebrate and champion […]

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