The Open University

Jade sitting in a wheelchair wearing sunglasses, under a tree.

“The sense of achievement is indescribable,” says proud graduate Jade

16 June 2025

When severe health problems left Jade, 34, unable to physically attend university, she lost all hope of achieving her dream degree, fearing the opportunity had passed her by. Now a proud Psychology with Counselling graduate, Jade shares how discovering The Open University (OU) gave her the flexibility to juggle motherhood, work and study, with the […]

Open University Tutor awarded OBE for services to Education

16 June 2025

OU Tutor Dr Diane Swift has been awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the King’s 2025 birthday honours list, for her services to education. Diane teaches and authors materials for the Primary Education modules and has been involved in the development of the apprenticeships for Teaching Assistants which she has shared through the OU’s […]

Baroness Smith visiting The Open University and meeting students. Copyright: OU

Skills Minister visits The Open University

12 June 2025

Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister for Skills, visited The Open University (OU)’s Milton Keynes campus to meet with students and to hear about how the OU is breaking down barriers to opportunity and widening access to higher education. The Minister, who oversees Higher Education and adult education in England, was welcomed by the OU’s Interim […]

Trump’s use of the National Guard against LA protesters defies all precedents

10 June 2025

Dr Sinead McEneaney, Senior Lecturer in History at The Open University, debates President Trump’s latest stance in LA against protesters over immigration raids and shares the historical background regarding the Insurrection Act and National Guard. Violence has erupted on the streets of cities across southern California over the weekend, as protesters clashed with agents from the […]

The Open University in top 10 for course quality in Uni Compare rankings

9 June 2025

Senior leaders and staff at The Open University (OU) are celebrating after the institution jumped up 26 places into sixth position in Uni Compare’s leaderboard for course quality. Additionally, the OU, which has been providing distance learning for more than 50 years, has retained third place position in the rankings for the employability of its […]

Five Books to read if you like apocalyptic fiction

9 June 2025

With the release of the movie 28 Years later this month, you may find yourself craving apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. Here are some suggestions from The Open University’s Jennie Owen, Lecturer in Creative Writing. These page-turners include pandemics, monsters and environmental collapse, and are guaranteed to have you both horrified and gripped. 1. Parable of […]

Empowering dyslexic learners for a brighter future all round

6 June 2025

Unleashing the power of dyslexic pupils is behind new evidence-based training hosted by OpenLearn Create in partnership with global charity Made By Dyslexia. A free one-hour training package is aimed at teaching staff and parents, and covers topics from advice and hints to top tips for supporting dyslexic learning to help pupils shine. OpenLearn Create […]

Rethinking our national and international issues

4 June 2025

If you’ve ever wondered how a major emerging national or international issue might play out through alternative solutions by decisionmakers, then check out The Open University/BBC radio series Rethink on BBC Radio 4. The OU’s Professor of Politics and International Studies Simon Usherwood was the consultant to programme makers for this third series that looks […]

Ukraine’s air strikes on Russian air fields “strategically important”: academic opinion

4 June 2025

As Russia has been left counting the cost of multiple Ukrainian drone strikes on its air fields over the weekend, Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies at The Open University, focuses on three key factors in this latest stage of the war. The first key point is that these were the […]

OU researcher helps to reveal origin of exoplanet WASP-121b

2 June 2025

Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) investigated by a team including an academic from the OU, have provided new clues about how the exoplanet WASP-121b has formed. The insights, published today in Nature Astronomy, captured by the telescope stem from the detection of multiple key molecules: water vapour, carbon monoxide, silicon monoxide, and methane. […]

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