The Open University

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 […]

Image of first Learning Hub session at Autotrader in Manchester. Tony Whelan is presenting to an audience.

OU launches its Black Leadership and Empowerment Programme

17 May 2024

The Open University (OU) has launched a new initiative designed to empower the next generation of Black leaders in business and the community. The Black Leadership and Empowerment Programme (BLEP) is a product of the OU Business School and will equip participants with the skills needed to thrive in leadership roles. The programme is being […]

The Open University, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Greater Manchester Police unite to launch perinatal mental health toolkit

2 May 2024

A toolkit has been designed to enhance support for maternal mental health in the workplace as a result of a research study conducted by The Open University (OU), Manchester Metropolitan University and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Association of Women in Policing. The study, a collaboration between Dr. Sarah-Jane Lennie and Dr. Keely Duddin from The […]

OU Alum Sir David Harrison, one of Universities UK’s 100 faces campaign

15 April 2024

Sir David Harrison, MBA alumnus and Honorary Graduate of The Open University has been named as part of a new campaign led by Universities UK, that promotes 100 faces who were the first in their family to attend higher education. UUK’s ‘100 Faces campaign’ aims to champion and celebrate the positive impact of ‘first-in-the-family’ (FitF) […]

The latest Chocolate Scorecard highlights urgent need for industry change

26 March 2024

The Open University (OU) is proud to be part of the 5th Edition of the Chocolate Scorecard that grades chocolate companies on their sustainability and ethics. The annual initiative is coordinated by Be Slavery Free in collaboration with an international team of non-profit organisations and academics, including Dr. Cristiana Bernardi, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and […]

Largest-ever UK report into online violence against women launched at Westminster event, urging for action

21 March 2024

The Open University launches major new report unveiling trends around Online Violence Against Women and Girls in the UK at Houses of Parliament event on Tuesday 19th March Online violence against women and girls is most rife on X/Twitter, followed by Facebook and Instagram Public sentiment supports the criminalisation of online violence against women (OVAW) […]

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