The Open University

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 […]

Academic opinion: So why is it that we like being scared?

28 October 2022

Philosophers have puzzled for years why we sit through films that make us scream in terror yet have us laughing moments later. With Hallowe’en just around the corner, Derek Matravers, Professor of Philosophy at The Open University, ponders why some people love the experience and seek out more while others hate it. So what kind […]

Expert comment on Mr Sunak’s first few days as PM

28 October 2022

Dr Richard Heffernan is a Reader in Government who specialises in British politics at The Open University. Here he gives his opinion on the new Prime Minister, his cabinet and his first Prime Minister’s Question Time. Is Rishi Sunak the right man for the job? That’s in the eye of the beholder. It depends on […]

Pensions: how yours may have been affected by recent market turmoil

27 October 2022

Jonquil Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Personal Finance at The Open University, explains how pensions have been affected by former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini budget and his replacement’s U-turn. The early signs are that the financial markets have been appeased by the government’s October 17 decision to reverse two-thirds of its September mini-budget tax […]

Are the moves by the new Chancellor enough?

19 October 2022

Two economists at The Open University deliver their verdict on Jeremy Hunt’s budget statement – his first since stepping into the shoes of his newly departed predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng. Jonquil Lowe, senior lecturer in economics and personal finance, said: The government has bowed to the financial markets and rowed back on most of the tax […]

Kwarteng paid the price for the miscalculations of previous Chancellors

17 October 2022

Alan Shipman, a senior lecturer in economics at The Open University, gives his opinion on the historical reasons Mr Kwarteng “had to go”. Kwasi Kwarteng will be remembered as the Chancellor who blew the government’s economic credibility with unfunded tax cuts. But his strategy was the only one left, after a series of earlier mistakes […]

OU News