OU News

News from The Open University

Rishi Sunak’s £15 billion cost-of-living package and windfall tax: four experts respond

Rishi Sunak’s £15 billion cost-of-living package and windfall tax: four experts respond

Jonquil Lowe, The Open University; Adi Imsirovic, University of Surrey; Alan Shipman, The Open University, and Keith Baker, Glasgow Caledonian University Rishi Sunak, the UK chancellor of the exchequer, has unveiled a £15 billion package of measures to help households with the cost of living, after energy watchdog Ofgem announced it would probably be increasing […]

Read more about Rishi Sunak’s £15 billion cost-of-living package and windfall tax: four experts respond

Animated image of dinosaurs

Prehistoric Planet: TV show asked us to explore what weather the dinosaurs lived through

Robert Spicer from The Open University; Alex Farnsworth from University of Bristol and Paul Valdes from University of Bristol write for The Conversation about the new TV series, Prehistoric Planet. When conjuring up images of when dinosaurs ruled the planet we often think of hot and humid landscapes in a world very different from our own. However, the new […]

Read more about Prehistoric Planet: TV show asked us to explore what weather the dinosaurs lived through

Researchers reveal who will face the financial brunt of net zero transition

Researchers reveal who will face the financial brunt of net zero transition

International researchers – including experts from The Open University – have mapped the distribution of over $1 trillion losses from potentially worthless oil and gas assets to the individuals, pension funds and governments who will be impacted, as nations rush to reach their pledges of achieving ‘net-zero’. Driven by technological, societal, and political change, renewable […]

Read more about Researchers reveal who will face the financial brunt of net zero transition

Sustainability in the built environment: OU academics call for change in building regulations

Sustainability in the built environment: OU academics call for change in building regulations

OU experts have called for greater sustainability in the construction of new buildings, which are globally responsible for 10% of all carbon emissions.[1] Dr Alice Moncaster and PhD student Jane Anderson, international experts in reducing carbon emissions in construction, have provided evidence towards a Select Committee report (published 26 May 2022) that they have hailed as […]

Read more about Sustainability in the built environment: OU academics call for change in building regulations

Pioneer receives OU accolade for her work making like easier for menopausal women

Pioneer receives OU accolade for her work making like easier for menopausal women

A pioneer who is blazing a trail to raise the profile of women experiencing menopause symptoms while at work has been awarded an honorary degree by The Open University. Deborah Garlick is the founder of the Henpicked website, an online community for women over 40 living with the menopause, and its sister organisation Menopause in […]

Read more about Pioneer receives OU accolade for her work making like easier for menopausal women

OU to provide skills boost for local communities

OU to provide skills boost for local communities

The OU will partner with further education providers to provide high-quality, higher and technical education to more local communities across England, backed by £10 million of Government funding. Under the scheme, announced by Higher and Further Education Minister Michelle Donelan today (25 May), The Open University will work with colleges that do not currently offer […]

Read more about OU to provide skills boost for local communities

OU student Craig shares his experience in microcredentials.

“The OU microcredentials are so good that I’m on my fourth!”

Craig Finnie first dipped his toe into the OU microcredentials waters in 2020 and says these short courses were such a great opportunity to upskill that he’s now done four – all via the OU’s social learning platform, FutureLearn. They’ve even helped him to land a new job.  With two distance learning undergraduate degrees under […]

Read more about “The OU microcredentials are so good that I’m on my fourth!”

student study

Sensitive topics: why studying them at a distance needs extra care

Academic study can sometimes mean students cover difficult themes; reading, watching or hearing accounts and taking in information which can be shocking or even a reminder of a highly personal past or present experience. A team of researchers at The Open University (OU) are investigating how the OU’s students emotionally experience and deal with such […]

Read more about Sensitive topics: why studying them at a distance needs extra care

New programme offers Black students chance for free degree study

New programme offers Black students chance for free degree study

Fifty Black UK-based students on lower incomes are being offered the opportunity to study for a degree for free through The Open University, via the Black Students Support Fund. The Fund is part of a series of scholarships, worth more than £2.6 million in total, and is designed to open doors for people who might […]

Read more about New programme offers Black students chance for free degree study

London businesswoman’s inspiring tale from homelessness to aiding her community

London businesswoman’s inspiring tale from homelessness to aiding her community

London-based businesswoman who studied for an Open University degree whilst homeless is set to feature in front of millions in a docuseries with the OU and MTV Generation Change for her uplifting work with the community. Lea Gibson is one of three OU students to feature in the series – the second series of its […]

Read more about London businesswoman’s inspiring tale from homelessness to aiding her community

Page 67 of 143