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News from The Open University

Cameron’s appointment – a party trick or a clever move? Academic comment

Cameron’s appointment – a party trick or a clever move? Academic comment

It’s a week since Rishi Sunak made the surprise appointment of former PM David Cameron as foreign secretary, so we spoke to The Open University’s Dr Richard Heffernan, a Reader in Government, who specialises in British politics, to see what he makes of the situation. There were raised eyebrows from political commentators when former prime […]

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OU academic says male-biased culture of naming planetary features after men has to change

OU academic says male-biased culture of naming planetary features after men has to change

Annie Lennox, from The Open University (OU), says the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) guidelines for the naming of planetary features should better represent women and marginalised groups Her research paper published in Nature Astronomy reveals that the IAU’s database of named features show that out of the 1,578 named craters of the Moon just 32, […]

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Entrepreneur and philanthropist is awarded an honorary degree

Entrepreneur and philanthropist is awarded an honorary degree

The influential entrepreneur behind the Richer Sounds hi-fi and electronics business Julian Richer has been awarded an honorary degree by The Open University for his contribution to British business and society. Today, the company’s 50 stores and a thriving online business create an annual £200m turnover and Julian donates 15 per cent of this to […]

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The Open University’s OpenSTEM Labs awarded Queen’s Anniversary Prize  

The Open University’s OpenSTEM Labs awarded Queen’s Anniversary Prize  

The Open University has been awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its OpenSTEM Labs initiative. The OpenSTEM Labs are online laboratories that allow students from anywhere in the world to participate in authentic experimental work, acquiring real data interactively as if they were in the laboratory. Many activities are available 24/7.  The OpenSTEM Labs […]

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Acclaimed music journalist receives honorary doctorate from The Open University

Acclaimed music journalist receives honorary doctorate from The Open University

Former member of early Nineties pop band Saint Etienne and acclaimed music journalist Bob Stanley has been awarded an honorary doctorate by The Open University. The author and producer received the honour at the OU’s degree ceremony in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall for his work enriching British cultural and artistic life for the past 30 years […]

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Stacey Dooley goes behind the scenes at an undertakers in new OU/BBC documentary

Stacey Dooley goes behind the scenes at an undertakers in new OU/BBC documentary

Stacey Dooley: Inside the Undertakers, takes a fascinating and surprisingly uplifting look behind the doors of a funeral director to discover more about the usually hidden side of death. In this one-off OU/BBC co-production, which airs on 9 November at 9pm on BBC ONE and iPlayer, presenter Stacey Dooley immerses herself in the day-to-day work […]

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Drugs Map of Britain returns for a gritty new series

Drugs Map of Britain returns for a gritty new series

A new series of the hard-hitting OU/BBC co-production Drugs Map of Britain delves into the world of drug users and dealers, laying bare the evolving makeup of Britain’s youth drug culture. Airing on the 8th of November at 10.30pm on BBC Three, the documentary series focuses on how certain drugs are widespread in cities across […]

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Image shows the opening titles that read The Secret Genius of Modern Life

OU/BBC series ‘The Secret Genius of Modern Life’ returns

A captivating second series of the OU/BBC series The Secret Genius of Modern Life is returning to TV screens on BBC Two at 8pm on Wednesday 8 November. Series two of The Secret Genius of Modern Life follows Hannah Fry, mathematician, author, and radio and television presenter, as she uncovers the secrets behind the miraculous […]

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Image of turtle swimming in the ocean with OpenLearn banner

A successful year for OpenLearn

It has been a successful year for The Open University’s free learning platform, OpenLearn, which has seen a significant rise in the number of people enrolling onto its courses. 890,000 people enrolled on an open learn course in the year 2022/23 compared to 794,000 the previous year (21/22). The platform, which offers more than 900 […]

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Image is a map of the UK showing the different nations

What does the King’s speech mean for four-nation collaboration?

Catherine May is the Senior External Affairs and Communications Manager at PolicyWISE – the Open University’s initiative to improve how governments and academics work together across nations. Here, Catherine shares her thoughts on the upcoming King’s speech: “There is always keen interest ahead of major government legislative announcements, and this year’s Kings Speech is being […]

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