The Open University

Finding out the secrets of the museum

6 February 2020

An exquisite 18th century portrait, a colourful Dior dress and dozens of delightful curiosities. These are just some of the fascinating secrets revealed in a new six-part OU/BBC co-production that lets cameras go behind the scenes at the world-famous Victoria and Albert Museum. Starting on Thursday 6 February Secrets of the Museum begins on BBC […]

Pay attention to part-time, report demands

6 February 2020

The needs of part-time students have never been more pressing, a report by the OU and the Higher Education Policy Institute finds. The wide-ranging report from the HE thinktank and the OU considers the sharp decline in the numbers of part-time learners, hearing the views of the people themselves. Author Dr John Butcher presents Unheard: […]

Study gave me purpose when the future seemed bleak

27 January 2020

Fiona Hirons began studying with the OU when she fell ill with Chronic fatigue syndrome/ME in 2002. After becoming largely bed-bound and being forced to give up her demanding career, she says studying helped her to cope with the loss of her previous way of life. Here, the remarkable Fiona shares her story: “I was […]

Series sees Ed Balls explore rise of populism

22 January 2020

Former politician-turned presenter Ed Balls embarks on his travels again in this new BBC/OU co-production, which this time finds him in Europe. After the success of Travels in Trumpland, Ed heads to Europe to discover how the divisions exposed by Brexit are reflected in the rest of the EU. The three-part series – Travels in […]

Asteroid was “sole driver” of dinosaur demise

17 January 2020

Science experts from around the globe say they have solved the longstanding debate of what really killed the dinosaurs. According to a study, published in Science, conducted by researchers from The Open University, UCL, Yale and the University of Southampton, an asteroid impact caused the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years […]

Open University set to train West Midlands residents in next-gen cyber skills

13 January 2020

Computer experts from The Open University (OU) will roll out a FREE cyber programme for residents across the West Midlands. The Open University has created a specialist cyber programme to provide industry standard training for residents across the region. Funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) as part of the Beat the Bots Fund, […]

Veganism has always been more about living an ethical life than just avoiding meat and dairy

7 January 2020

Dr Matthew Cole, Lecturer in Criminology at The Open University joins Dr Kate Stewart from Nottingham Trent University to write for The Conversation about the origins of Veganism being more than just diet. “Ethical veganism” has been ruled to be a philosophical belief in the UK in an employment tribunal. During a case brought by […]

Sixty years ago: Stuart Hall arrives to renew the Left

3 January 2020

Alan Shipman looks back to 1960 when the late Stuart Hall (former Professor of Sociology at the OU) first emerged as a leading Left thinker and pioneering social scientist. January 1960 began with a fresh challenge for Stuart Hall, a young teacher from Jamaica still adjusting to London life after finishing his English Literature studies. […]

I never believed I could get a degree, let alone end up in my dream job!

2 January 2020

Teaching had always been Emma’s dream but when her teachers at school flagged that she might be dyslexic she feared her ambition was out of reach. However, with the help of The Open University and a bucket load of determination, Emma has finally achieved her goal and starts a job as a newly qualified teacher […]

“The OU gave me the tools to go out and make a difference”

1 January 2020

Bradley Neal always had an interest in the natural world and a concern with what was happening to the planet so he decided he was going to try and make a difference, starting with educating himself on the environment and the issues affecting it. “I have a passion for the natural world. The decline in […]

OU News