The Open University

Ground-breaking number of brown dwarf stars discovered

10 June 2022

An international team led by researchers from The Open University and the University of Bern have directly imaged a remarkable four new brown dwarfs thanks to a new innovative search method. Brown dwarfs are mysterious astronomical objects straddling the line between stars and planets and are essential to our understanding of both stellar and planetary […]

Young lady with her hand on an older lay's shoulder

OU Carers Scholarship open for applications until end of month

9 June 2022

The Open University’s (OU) Carers Scholarships Fund is open for applications until the 24 June 2022. Established to help carers overcome the many hurdles that prevent them from accessing education, the scheme will support 20 carers with full tuition cost for any OU undergraduate credit-bearing course; six of the scholarships will be reserved for young […]

Vote of no confidence: what does it mean for Boris Johnson?

6 June 2022

Professor of Politics & International Studies at The Open University Simon Usherwood outlines the vote of no confidence in the House of Commons on Monday June 6 2022 and what it could mean for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. How will Tory MPs vote? The process of a no confidence vote in the Conservative party might […]

“I failed a module, but came back stronger”

6 June 2022

Aqua Koroma first started her university journey in 2000 but pressed pause on her studies when she became mum to two boys. After her marriage broke down years later, Aqua was inspired to return to study Law with The Open University and pursue her dream of becoming a solicitor. Her journey to graduation wasn’t without […]

Haiti has suffered hugely over centuries but its revolution was stunningly innovative

31 May 2022

Anna Plassart, The Open University Since the New York Times published its recent series of bombshell articles about the crippling reparations that France imposed on Haiti after it won independence in 1804, much has been written about how this 150 million franc “indemnity” had virtually doomed the fledgling country before it had a chance to […]

“I’m studying so I can set up my own environmental consultancy”

31 May 2022

Proud Open University student Kevin Odhiambo Onyango lives in Kenya and is studying for his MSc in Environmental Management – in preparation for setting up his own environmental consultancy firm. He shares how OU study has changed his life so far. “I am finding my experience of being an international OU student very exciting because […]

Welsh poet and former Wales Education Minister receive accolades from the OU

30 May 2022

Two women were awarded honorary degrees by The Open University in Wales at a graduation ceremony that featured more than 400 students plus their families and friends. The honorary degrees of Doctor of the University were awarded to former Wales Education Minister Kirsty Williams and former National Poet Gillian Clarke at the International Convention Centre […]

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

30 May 2022

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 […]

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

27 May 2022

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 […]

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

26 May 2022

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 […]

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