Your everyday guide to economics and why you should care

Image of Economics with Subtitles

A new four-part OU/BBC series, Economics with Subtitles, starts on Radio 4 on Saturday (4 August) lunchtime.

It is being presented by economics podcaster Ayeisha Thomas-Smith and stand-up comedian (with an economics degree) Steve Bugeja who will translate the economic jargon that fills our media and politicians’ mouths into words you can understand and use.

There are stories of sex (and inflation), drugs (and GDP) and rock and roll (and a 90-year-old economist) in the show! It is going out at 12:04 with repeats on Sunday (5 August) at 21:02 and Wednesday (8 August) at 15:02.

Dr Peter Bloom from The Open University Business School was one of three academic consultants who worked on the series, together with OU colleagues Dr Alan Shipman and Dr Rajiv Prabhakar.

You can find out more about the series via the OpenLearn website.

Upcoming Events

Mar 10

Doing Academia Differently: Professional Development Symposium for Doctoral Students and Early-Career Academics

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - 09:00 to 17:00

Michael Young Building, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BB

This one-day symposium on ‘Doing Academia Differently’ will provide inspiration and support for PhD and early-career academics to approach the complex tensions and dilemmas of contemporary academia in new and creative ways.

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.

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