News

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Digital poverty is holding university students back

When a student can’t submit their essay because the household’s only device is being used by three siblings for school, or because their mobile data ran out mid-lecture, they are experiencing digital poverty, says Matthew Hinton, Senior Lecturer in Information Management, and Jacqueline Baxter, Professor in Public Policy and Management.

10th July 2026
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OU and BBC Collaborate on Morning Live film series

Three short films co-produced by The Open University and the BBC will feature on BBC One’s Morning Live programme, Misogyny in Football, Solar Panels, and Project Vigilant, and showcase the academic contribution from The Faculty of Business and Law.

8th June 2026

OU-supported Chocolate Scorecard highlights poverty, deforestation and child labour

The Open University (OU) is proud to be part of the 7th Edition of the Chocolate Scorecard which this year reveals the stark reality behind the confectionary’s production.

26th May 2026
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Five years on: I Made It at Market revisits makers’ business journeys

The BBC One series, I Made It at Market, revisits former participants to explore how their businesses have developed around five years after taking part.

30th April 2026
MEL programme event attendees

‘Inspiring’ ceremony celebrates graduates of OU’s new diverse leadership programme

The Open University honoured its second cohort of graduates from its pioneering Minority Ethnic Leadership (MEL) Programme at a special event in London last week.

17th March 2026
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The Open University launches free financial literacy course for secondary schools in partnership with the Harrison Foundation

The Open University (OU), in partnership with the Harrison Foundation, has launched a new free financial literacy resource for 15 to 17-year-old secondary school students, designed to support teachers delivering statutory financial education within PSHE.

23rd February 2026
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Evan is back with another series of The Bottom Line

The popular OU/BBC radio series The Bottom Line takes to the airwaves for a new series from Thursday 8 January at 12.04pm on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds, bringing a weekly look at business, money tips and strategy.

12th January 2026

Champion of diversity and inclusion is honoured by OU

An Honorary Doctorate from The Open University has been awarded to diversity and inclusion strategist, Gamiel Yafai MBE, whose work has contributed to economic, social and cultural change in both Milton Keynes and beyond.

4th November 2025

The Open University and NatWest Launch ‘Open Business Creators Fund’ to Empower Women Entrepreneurs Across the UK

The Open University, in partnership with NatWest and the Department for Work and Pensions, proudly announces the return of the Open Business Creators Fund, a transformative funding competition designed to support women at the idea or early stages of their entrepreneurial journey.

21st October 2025

New initiative supports growth of diverse business founders

The Open University has partnered with social innovation and venture business, Tin Ventures, to create a new programme that supports diverse business founders across the West Midlands. The collaboration has been designed to equip entrepreneurs with the skills and connections to grow their businesses.

24th September 2025
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Upcoming Events

Jul 16

Guest lecture: Fraud, Data and Emerging Risks

Thursday, July 16, 2026 - 14:00 to 15:30

Online on MS Teams

This guest lecture with Mike Haley, CEO of Cifas, will provide an overview of the types of fraud currently causing the greatest harm to society and examine how advances in AI are likely to affect fraud cases in the future.

Sep 2

Caring Feminisms Across Borders Conference

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 - 09:00 to Friday, September 4, 2026 - 17:00

University of Donja Gorica, Oktoih 1, Podgorica 81000, Montenegro

This academic conference hopes to draw feminist scholars, activists and communities together to consider what caring feminism across borders might mean now and for the future.