The Open University

Windrush – portraying the lives of a generation

19 June 2023

A new Open University/BBC co-production programme this week shows the work of artists, commissioned by His Majesty The King to produce portraits of people from the Windrush generation. The works of art commemorate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush, a ship that docked in Tilbury on 22 June 1948, bringing […]

A new Tatooine-like multi-planetary system identified

12 June 2023

An international team of astronomers, including a researcher from The Open University has announced the second-ever discovery of a multiplanetary circumbinary system. Circumbinary systems contain planets that orbit around two stars in the centre instead of just one, like in our Solar System. Circumbinary planets orbit around both stars at once. The discovery is reported […]

Women Leaders Awards 2023 – Dr Liz Marr wins award

9 June 2023

Dr Liz Marr, our Pro-Vice Chancellor for Students up until her retirement in May, has just been given a coveted accolade at the Women Leaders 2023 Awards, Milton Keynes, in the category of skills education and training. The ceremony, which took place at Milton Keynes Stadium, recognised women leaders over a large range of categories […]

Award-winning author and broadcaster is keynote speaker at OU global challenges festival

8 June 2023

Gary Younge is one of the headliners at a four-day hybrid festival staged at the OU to give voice to research into real-life global challenges and social justice to aid change. The former Guardian columnist, who is also a Professor of sociology at the University of Manchester, has made several radio and TV documentaries on […]

Award-winning 50-word flash fiction competition returns!

5 June 2023

Back by popular demand, our multi-award-winning flash fiction competition #OU50words is returning to The Open University’s social media channels. Every day for seven days (starting on Monday 12 June) we’ll be sharing a different storytelling prompt designed to inspire you to forge a 50-word, fictional footpath. We invited award-winning photographer Laura Jones from Atmospheric Images to spend […]

Lovers of detective-fiction have the chance to study Agatha Christie’s writing for free

1 June 2023

If you ever wanted to know the secrets of writing detective fiction, The Open University is staging a free short course of the work of 20th Century whodunnit queen Agatha Christie. According to Guinness World Records, Christie is the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies. Now […]

Springwatch – the wildlife lovers’ favourite – returns to our screens

26 May 2023

A new series of the BBC’s popular Springwatch is about to make its annual appearance on our screens and this time it’s produced in partnership with The Open University and comes from a brand new location – the RSPB Arne Nature Reserve in Dorset. Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan, Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke return to […]

Open University wins two broadcast accolades

23 May 2023

The Open University has won the Broadcast Award at the prestigious Learning on Screen Awards for the OU/BBC co-production, AIDS: The Unheard Tapes. The BBC2 documentary brought to life the voices of infected gay men and their friends, using actors who lip-sync to original voice recordings. The judges praised the entry for its “inventive and […]

Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland – documentary about the Troubles

22 May 2023

A gripping new Open University/BBC co-production series on the Troubles in Northern Ireland is about to air containing interviews with people whose lives were changed forever by conflict. The powerful new five-part documentary is broadcasting on BBC Two, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer today, Monday 22 May at 9pm. Once Upon a Time in […]

OU study highlights the impact of cyber victimisation on those living with chronic conditions

17 May 2023

Dr Zhraa Alhaboby, academic in health sciences at The Open University (OU), has published research highlighting the scale and impact of cyber victimisation on those living with long-term conditions or disabilities. Sadly, people living with chronic conditions experience harassment in both offline and online contexts. In this study, cyber-victimisation is used as an umbrella term […]

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