The Open University

The Secret Genius of Modern Life returns for a new season

2 April 2025

Today (2 April) at 8pm, the OU / BBC series, The Secret Genius of Modern Life, returns with a third series. The fascinating programme unpacks the amazing science and mind-boggling innovation behind everyday objects. Professor Hannah Fry is our hammer-wielding, tech-savvy tour guide to the extraordinary stories behind everything from air fryers to roller coasters. […]

A young blonde woman, wearing a mortar board and holding a certificate, in front of a sea-view with mountains in the distance.

‘The OU allowed me to fit my studies in a schedule that worked for me,’ says busy working mum

1 April 2025

Rebecca, 37, from the Isle of Ulva in Scotland, always had an interest in higher education but didn’t want to leave the beloved island she calls home. It wasn’t until she was 27 and a busy working mum of two children that she discovered The Open University (OU). Through her BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and […]

OU apprenticeships instrumental in tech firm’s success

27 March 2025

An Open University degree apprenticeship partnership with an Oxfordshire firm has been one of the reasons web-tech company Olamalu gained a fistful of accolades for its apprenticeship offering to staff. Half the firm’s workforce have experienced apprenticeship training – two employees recently graduated from the OU’s Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprenticeship and four […]

New OU films for BBC Morning Live explore Dementia

26 March 2025

Two short films co-produced by The Open University and the BBC will feature on BBC One’s Morning Live programme as part of their Memories and Dementia season. Young Onset Dementia is expected to air on Wednesday 26th March, between 9:30am and 10:45am followed by Dementia Training on 28th March. In Young Onset Dementia, we hear […]

A young man wearing a black jumper sat next to an older woman with long-grey hair and a long-sleeved pink jumper. A dog is sat between them.

‘I never considered university was an option until my son encouraged me to take the leap’, says mum of OU graduate

25 March 2025

When George, 28, from Kent, earned his BSc in Computing and IT from The Open University (OU) last year, he never imagined his success would inspire his mum to follow in his footsteps. Thanks to his degree, George has already secured multiple promotions and even an award nomination. Now, his mum, Maria, 52, has embarked […]

OU researchers use specialised method to map ices across a molecular cloud with JWST

24 March 2025

Research led by academics at the The Open University (OU) has used a specialised observing mode of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to map interstellar ices containing water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) simultaneously across a molecular cloud with an unprecedented level of resolution. The study, published today in Nature Astronomy, […]

Pot of coins. Photo: Josh Appel, Unsplash

Five things you need to know about: releasing trapped pension surpluses

19 March 2025

In a bid to fuel-inject the economy and provide opportunity for growth, the UK Government is intending to announce plans to make it easier to tap into the surplus funds lying in corporate pension schemes. Following an earlier heads-up about this intention, we can expect the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to reveal more in the coming […]

Euclid mission reveals spectacular new space discoveries

19 March 2025

New data from a satellite one million miles from Earth has helped UK scientists, including those from The Open University (OU), shed light on how mysterious forces shaped the evolution of the Universe. The release of the first survey data from the European Space Agency’s pioneering Euclid satellite – made public today – has led […]

Join the OU for its first Open Research Week

18 March 2025

The OU is set to host its first Open Research Week from 24th to 28th March. The week is an opportunity for anyone, anywhere, to learn about our ‘real world’ applications of our openly available data, outputs and citizen science platforms and to help others in the research community to do research better. Communicated through webinars, videos […]

OU celebrates neurodiversity week

18 March 2025

To mark neurodiversity week, 17th -23rd March, The Open University has created a hub of resources on its free online learning platform, OpenLearn, designed to educate and inspire neurodivergent learners, allies, educators, and employers. The OU has a long history of teaching neurodivergent learners, such as those with ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, autism, dyspraxia, Tourette’s syndrome, […]

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