The Open University

Super-Earth planets detected orbiting nearby star

26 June 2020

A system of super-Earth planets – possibly rocky worlds, but larger than Earth – has been detected orbiting the nearby star Gliese 887. An international team of astronomers, including Professor Carole Haswell and Dr John Barnes of The Open University, made the discovery as part of Red Dots, a project to detect terrestrial planets close […]

Nkurunziza’s life and Burundian politics: beyond the mourning and controversies

24 June 2020

Astrid Jamar, Lecturer in Development at The Open University and Rene Claude Niyonkuru, Researcher at the Universite catholique de Louvain discuss President Pierre Nkurunziza – and his legacy – following his sudden death earlier this month at the age of 55. They explore how his personal and political trajectory was entangled with a long legacy […]

‘The OU helped me to become a published author!’

24 June 2020

“I always dreamed of becoming an author,” says OU graduate Shereen. “But it wasn’t something I realised again until I had taken time off from my banking career.” Shereen had been working in London’s Canary Wharf when she met her husband and took some time off to raise her family. After her break from banking, […]

Life inside Pluto? Hot birth may have created internal ocean on dwarf planet

23 June 2020

David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at The Open University, discusses what it means to discover internal oceans on Pluto and other planets in the solar system. Pluto, along with many other dwarf planets in the outer solar system, is often thought of as dark, icy and barren – with a surface temperature of just […]

A new journey for disabled veterans like Daniel

21 June 2020

After joining the Army at just 16 years old, OU student Daniel Bingley was flying high in a military career when a terrible injury turned his world upside down. “In 2012, I was injured in Iraq following an explosion,” Daniel tells us. “It seriously damaged my ears and I still really struggle with my hearing.” […]

From the forces to the courtroom: Kate’s story

19 June 2020

When Kate Moth was medically discharged from the Army in 2016, she began doubting her sense of self and had no idea what she was supposed to do next. Fast forward a few years and Kate is now studying Law through The Open University’s Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund. As someone who always wants to help […]

Teach your child through creative play

18 June 2020

Although select year groups have returned to nursery and school, there are still a large proportion of parents continuing to educate their children from home. Open University (OU) academics from the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport (ECYS) have joined forces to provide their tips on creative play – a form of learning that […]

OU researchers develop free software set to revolutionise physiotherapy

18 June 2020

Researchers from The Open University (OU), in collaboration with Cardiff University, have developed free software to monitor movement in people recovering from lower limb injury or surgery. OU PhD student Riasat Islam in collaboration with Dr Mohammad Al-Amri, Dr Mohamed Bennasar and Professor Blaine Price created a custom prototype, known as MoJoXlab. The movement analysis […]

Newly detected green light similar to the Aurora Borealis observed around Mars

15 June 2020

Open University (OU) scientists, as part of an international team, have identified a never-before-seen, green glow surrounding Mars with the same characteristics as the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Using the NOMAD-UVIS instrument onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), a joint space mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, […]

OU welcomes report seeking better deal for part-time learners

15 June 2020

The Open University welcomes a report by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) which calls for better UK government support and improved access to adult learning to reboot the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Long Game – How to reboot skills training for disadvantaged adults, published today (15 June 2020), highlights […]

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