The Open University

The internal ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus could be old enough to have evolved life, finds study

7 November 2017

We recently bade farewell to the Cassini spacecraft, which after 13 years of faithfully orbiting Saturn and its moons was directed to plunge into the giant planet’s atmosphere. The reason for the “grand finale” was to guard against the possibility that Cassini might crash into one of Saturn’s moons – in particular Enceladus. With its […]

How a new orbital moon station could take us to Mars and beyond

2 October 2017

The dream of a human habitat in orbit about the moon came a step closer on September 27, when NASA and the Russian space agency (Roscosmos) signed up to a common vision for future human exploration. The project, a follow-up to the International Space Station (ISS), involves a facility placed in orbit somewhere between the […]

Barbican - photo courtesy of Claudia Rosani

OU honours digital entrepreneur for encouraging diversity in science and technology

29 September 2017

Digital entrepreneur, Lopa Patel, has been awarded an honorary degree in recognition of her contributions to encouraging diversity and inclusion in science and technology, and her wider impact on British culture, industry, and society. The OU presented Lopa Patel MBE with a Doctor of the University by Vice Chancellor, Peter Horrocks, at its recent Barbican […]

New series explores the dark reality behind the disruption economy

2 August 2017

New two-part television series Secrets of Silicon Valley investigates the reality behind Silicon Valley’s endless faith in its power to change the world for the better. The so-called ‘Tech Gods’ believe progress is powered by unleashing technology to tear up the world as it is and create a new one – a process they call “disruption”. Presented […]

Want a career in engineering? Here’s 10 top tips for you

23 June 2017

With 5,000 engineering students at the OU, and a third of these studying to change careers, here’s some advice on gaining experience in the sector from careers adviser Catrin Davies. Take a look at sites like Gradcracker, TargetJobs and the OU’s own JobZone to see if there’s any work placements that might work for you. 2. […]

OU awarded funding to make education more inclusive

9 March 2017

The OU has been awarded funding of £480,000 by the Higher Education Funding Council in England (HEFCE) to address barriers to student success. Led by the OU in collaboration with the University of Leeds and Plymouth University, the two-year project, Embedding and sustaining inclusive STEM practices, aims to share and promote inclusive educational practices in […]

Open University responds to Government Green Paper on Industrial Strategy

23 January 2017

The launch of the Green Paper on Industrial Strategy by Prime Minister Theresa May today (23 January 2017) outlined plans to develop innovation and technology, which will support the delivery of a “high-skilled, competitive economy that benefits people throughout the UK.” As a Higher Education institution with over 170,000 student across the four nations, The […]

Making a difference for International Women’s Day

8 March 2016

On International Women’s Day the OU reveals how it aims to make a difference for women in crucial areas of the workplace where women are poorly represented. Gender, Skilled Migration and IT; a comparative study of India and the UK is wide-ranging and significant research project investigating the lack of women working in highly-skilled roles […]

OU welcomes focus on part-time study in Spending Review

26 November 2015

On Wednesday, the Chancellor delivered his Autumn Statement and Spending Review, setting out the Government’s spending priorities over the next five years. This includes cuts to most central government departments, including BIS. Although The Open University receives the majority of its funding through student fees, direct government funding for certain activities is nonetheless an important […]

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