The Open University

Why the social pain of welfare reform overshadows any economic gain

21 March 2025

The UK government is calling it the “biggest shakeup to the welfare system in a generation” – prompted by what the Prime Minister described as the “devastating” cost of sickness and disability benefits. Alan Shipman, Senior Lecturer in Economics, writing in The Conversation, says planned reforms to cut those costs are designed to save £5 […]

A new report calls for better support for people experiencing early pregnancy endings in the workplace

24 October 2024

New research into early pregnancy endings is calling on employers to adopt more inclusive and supportive policies for those experiencing pregnancy endings in the workplace. Authored by Professor Jo Brewis from The Open University, with colleagues from the OU, the University of Essex, University of Plymouth, UCL and Aston University, the report found that many […]

The Open University Establishes New Centre for Protecting Women Online Following £7.7 Million Grant from Research England

9 October 2024

The Open University (OU) has launched a pioneering Centre for Protecting Women Online, made possible by a substantial £7.7 million grant from Research England. This new initiative aims to address and mitigate the online harms faced by women and girls, focusing on research to inform legislative, policy, and technological solutions. The official opening of the […]

Open University research drives new Pet Abduction law

27 September 2024

A landmark piece of legislation has come into force, recognising pet theft as a specific crime for the first time. The Pet Abduction Act 2024 aims to address the emotional distress experienced by stolen pets and their owners. The new law was informed by research conducted by Dr Helen Selby-Fell, Senior Lecturer in Policing Organisation […]

New series of OU/BBC documentary Parole

25 September 2024

The critically acclaimed documentary series Parole returns to our screens on 25th September, 9pm on BBC Two and iPlayer. Filmed over several months with unique access to parole board members, prisoners and some of their families, the new series takes audiences behind the scenes in the high stakes world of parole hearings where the futures […]

OU report highlights benefits of Employee Ownership for sustainable food and farming

10 September 2024

A new report from The Open University, in collaboration with Riverford Organic Farmers and Sustain, explores how employee ownership can address the complex challenges facing the food and farming sector. The report, titled ‘Managing employee ownership transitions for sustainability in food and farming enterprises: Learning from Riverford’, delves into the case of Riverford Organic Farmers, […]

Why not knowing what to do isn’t always a bad thing for leaders

6 September 2024

Lecturer in Work-based Learning at The Open University, Sarah Bloomfield, and Clare Rigg from Lancaster University write for The Conversation about why not knowing what to do isn’t always a bad thing for leaders. In 2002, after a Pentagon news briefing, the then US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld was widely ridiculed for his thoughts about […]

OU to host The Business Agility Conference UK

5 September 2024

This September, The Open University (OU) is to host an in-person event at its campus, Walton Hall in Milton Keynes, focusing on business agility and the theme of ‘Leading through Complexity’. The Business Agility Conference UK is a collaboration between the OU, The Business Agility Institute UK and The Cynefin Company. Pre-conference workshops are taking […]

OU research identifies key areas for improving trans healthcare in the UK

28 August 2024

A new study published today and led by The Open University (OU) has identified significant areas for improvement in the care for transgender adults within the NHS. The report, titled ‘Improving the integration of care for trans adults: ICTA a mixed-methods study’, has been published in the journal Health and Social Care Delivery Research by […]

Image shows two people sitting in front of a laptop studying

Open University competition awards £60k in grants to small businesses

18 July 2024

The Open University (OU) has awarded a total of £60,000 to 18 aspiring business owners to support the next generation of student entrepreneurs. 350 people registered for this year’s Open Business Creators Fund competition that has been co-funded by Santander Universities, the Higher Education Innovation Fund and the Welsh Regional Innovation Fund. 90 people took […]

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