The Open University

Russia’s militarisation of young Ukrainians risks long-term peace: academic comment

21 February 2025

While decisionmakers in Europe and the US wrestle with a roadmap to lasting peace in Ukraine an Open University academic says they need to understand the future threat posed by Russian militarisation of young people in occupied territories. As we approach the third anniversary of the war, Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody says Russia is attempting to […]

Five books to read if you love Nordic/Scandinavian noir

17 February 2025

You know the drill: In a cold and dark place, perhaps at the frontier of human civilisation, a murder has taken place. With fading light and a small community of suspects, our hero must find the killer before the community is driven apart by suspicion in these so-called Nordic-noir films. Samuel Sargeant, Lecturer in Creative […]

Set of electronic/online devices showing a heart. Image credit: Thinkstock

Ahead of Valentine’s Day criminology expert shares top tips to stay safe when online dating

13 February 2025

It is estimated that 11 million people in the UK are dating online and with Valentine’s Day approaching, it could prompt people to try online dating apps hoping to find love. There is, however, a dark side to online dating, and according to a survey by the BBC, 33% of people aged between 18 to […]

OU contributes to major Government ‘CreaTech’ report

13 February 2025

The Open University (OU) has contributed to a major new government report, The Coronation Challenge: CreaTech Report, by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and the Royal Anniversary Trust. The Report explores how the combination of creativity and emerging technologies, known as CreaTech, can drive innovation, create jobs, and position the UK […]

OU researchers help to solve major planetary science mystery

12 February 2025

A researcher at The Open University (OU) has made strides in cracking an ongoing space unknown by discovering fragments of planets thought to be long gone. A lack of olivine (a magnesium iron silicate mineral that is a major component of the Earth’s upper mantle) dominated material in the asteroid belt and in our recorded […]

OU academic awarded Accelerator grant from the Wellcome trust

11 February 2025

OU academic Dr Jenny Douglas has been selected for a prestigious Accelerator Award from the Wellcome Trust. The grant of £ 153,273 will fund research into improving Black women’s health and wellbeing in the UK. The Wellcome Trust Accelerator Awards support researchers of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the UK to undertake activities that […]

OU’s win for ‘Zelensky Story’ at prestigious Broadcast Awards gala event

8 February 2025

A three-part Open University/BBC documentary about Volodymyr Zelensky – comedian, actor and president – has won the Best Specialist Factual Programme category at the 2025 Broadast Awards. The powerful documentary featured interviews with his close friends, allies, wife Olena Zelenska, and, before the war, Zelensky in his previous entertainer role, interposed with Ukraine’s current reality […]

The Open University produces an award-winning film that challenges perceptions of youth violence

5 February 2025

The Open University has developed an award-winning film and a thought-provoking interactive quiz that challenges perceptions about knife crime and youth violence. Available on OpenLearn, which is the OU’s free learning platform, ‘Exploring Youth Violence: What would you do?’ aims to provide a better understanding of the complex lives and situations of young people who […]

Chancellor’s plans for growth will be slow to emerge: academic opinion

31 January 2025

The UK’s Chancellor’s plans for growth and ambitious industrial policies will only work if she can reset European trade, says Alan Shipman, Senior Lecturer in Economics at The Open University. When the Labour government returned to power last year it chose not to act rapidly against one of the biggest growth constraints, Britain’s isolation from […]

Mystery mounds reveal the history of water on Mars: study discovers erosion the size of the UK

20 January 2025

A team led by a researcher at London’s Natural History Museum and The Open University (OU), Dr Joe McNeil, have published a study into the history of water on Mars’ surface, how the surface evolved, and its potential to support life. The experts used high-resolution images and compositional data captured by orbiters to understand the […]

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