Welcome to the May edition of OpenMinds enews. We were delighted to host OpenMinds Live in late April with over 250 people viewing online and 170 alumni and guests on campus. It was fantastic to have such impressive numbers – our largest event since 2019. If you missed the event and would like to watch online, read on below to find out how.

Many of you may have seen in recent news coverage that the University’s Professor Mahesh Anand is the first scientist from the UK to receive Moon samples from China’s Lunar Exploration Programme – you can find out more about this exciting opportunity in the news and research section.

I hope you enjoy discovering more about your University. Thank you for being an inspiring part of the OU family.

Best wishes

Emily Rowland-Portch

Alumni Engagement Manager

The Open University

OU brings environmental research to the rooftops

Work has commenced on The Open University’s first green roof research installation, thanks to a collaboration between scientists and a Milton Keynes-based Living Roof contractor.

Living Roof Live Lab, located on top of the Stuart Hall office building at the OU’s Walton Hall campus, features a vista of rectangular beds – known as rigs – containing different combinations of substrate and vegetation.

OU space expert among world’s first to receive moon samples from China’s Lunar Exploration Program for research

An academic from The Open University, Professor Mahesh Anand, has been selected as the first scientist from the UK to receive Moon samples from China’s Lunar Exploration Program for conducting research.

The sample comes from the Chinese lunar mission, Chang’e 5, which returned Moon samples to Earth in December 2020.

Professor Anand applied to conduct research on Chang’e 5 samples in Dec 2023 and is one of 7 experts from around the world selected to receive these invaluable samples.

This is the first time lunar samples returned by a Chinese space mission will have been allocated to international principal investigators.

Lab-grown meat: you may find it icky, but it could drive forward medical research

Lab-grown meat causes heated debates. Proponents see benefits for the climate and animal welfare. Opponents worry about a Frankenstein food they regard as risky and unnatural. Whatever your opinion, the technology underpinning cultivated meat is moving fast to create large pieces of muscle tissue, says James Hague, Senior Lecturer in Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics and Biophysics at The Open University.

The fact that artificial meat starts as a living tissue means that, as it gets bigger and better, the technologies involved could have a huge impact on medical research.

OU secures £1.2m to study religion's role in human flourishing

Exciting news! The Open University's Religious Studies Department is leading an innovative £1.2m research project kindly funded by the John Templeton Foundation. ‘New Religiosity and the Digital Study of Eudaimonia’ will explore how modern faith shapes our wellbeing.

Working with the University of British Columbia's Database of Religious History and the educational charity Inform, based at King’s College London, OU researchers will create a first-of-its-kind digital framework analysing 400 religious movements worldwide, with special emphasis on understudied communities across Asia and Africa.

From meditation practices to community support networks, the project will map the elements that contribute to (or hinder) human flourishing in contemporary spiritual contexts.

Want to discover how ancient wisdom meets modern life?

Tackling the diversity gap in charity leadership

The Open University has expanded its pioneering Minority Ethnic Leadership (MEL) programme, designed to address the significant under-representation of ethnic minorities in voluntary sector leadership. Building on last year's successful Black Leadership and Empowerment pilot in Manchester, the programme is now operating across six UK learning hubs. Participants receive 150 hours of free leadership training through the OU's OpenLearn platform, complemented by in-person sessions with motivational speakers and mentoring.

The initiative, funded by the Henry Smith Charity, aims to create a talent pipeline while enabling leaders to collaborate on racial justice issues. Programme director Fidèle Mutwarasibo emphasises the power of connecting individuals into a network of learners capable of achieving meaningful change.

Exclusive F1 Experience: Win British Grand Prix Tickets!

Through our partnership with Santander UK, OU alumni can enter an exciting prize draw to win one of two pairs of tickets to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this July!

This exclusive opportunity is open to everyone aged 18+ – no need to be a Santander customer. Simply register on Santander Open Academy and complete a short entry form.

While there, explore their new "High Performance Leadership: Lessons from F1" course – free on-demand training inspired by Formula 1's winning strategies.

Don't miss out! Enter by 31 May 2025:

OpenMinds Live

Did you miss it? OpenMinds Live took place on Tuesday 29 April and was an opportunity to have a behind the scenes look at some of the latest news and fascinating stories from the University and its alumni.

You can catch up here:

The pivotal role of parents in pain care: Improving how we care for children’s pain

Thursday 12 June 2025, 17:30 -18:30
Online and in person

The inaugural lecture of Professor Joan Simons, Head of School for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care in the OU’s Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, will focus on how her experience as a burns nurse instigated a career long interest on improving the management of children’s pain in hospital. Professor Simons has worked for 14 years to improve the management of children's pain.

New Series of Inside Our Minds explores ADHD and Dyslexia

A new series of the OU/BBC series ‘Inside Our Minds’ began on Mon 12 May on BBC Two and iPlayer at 21:00 and from Weds 14 May on BBC Two Wales at 21:00

Following the success of the multi-award-winning first series ‘Inside Our Autistic Minds’, series two, presented by Chris Packham, examines other forms of neurodivergence – ADHD and Dyslexia.

New series of Word of Mouth

A new six-part OU/BBC radio series of Word of Mouth began on Thursday 8 May and will air weekly at 15:30 on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

The series is presented by celebrated author Michael Rosen and explores the world of words and how we use them.

In the first episode, Michael talks to Dr Philip Seargeant, Senior Lecturer in English Language and Applied Linguistics at The Open University, about where our street names come from including Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate in York, and Michael’s old address, Love Lane.

How to navigate modern life – mental health and wellbeing programme

Mental health and wellbeing are the subjects covered by The Open University/BBC co-production ‘Change Your Mind, Change Your Life’ which aired on Tuesday 13 May at 23:00 on BBC One and at 23:50 in Northern Ireland.  

OU academics Professor Andreas Vossler and Professor Naomi Moller are psychologists who acted as consultants to the programme makers on this four-part series featuring TV presenters Emma Willis and her musician husband Matt Willis.

In the programme, which coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week, the well-known duo team up with some of Britain’s leading therapists to explore how they can help us navigate the challenges that modern life throws at us.

Julie’s Story: ‘OU study gave me the opportunity to pursue new career goals with confidence and expertise’

As thousands of runners are nursing their aching legs after this year’s record breaking London Marathon, we’re thrilled to share the story of Open University MBA graduate Dr Julie McElroy, who became the first female frame runner to complete the iconic race last year.

When Julie, an award-winning disability rights campaigner, was confined to her home after a traumatic accident, studying with The Open University gave her purpose when she needed it most.

Leonie’s Story: ‘I feel like I can do anything, thanks to OU study!’

Having struggled with the structure of school and college, Leonie, 25, was convinced that higher education wasn’t for her, until a TV advert for The Open University made her think again.

Now a proud Business Management graduate, Leonie shares how she juggled being a new mum with a busy job and full-time study.

We would love to know what inspired you to become a student. Did you have any extraordinary moments while studying? Has completing your qualification changed your life or helped you discover a new self-confidence?

We want to hear from all OU alumni of different ages and experiences, identities and backgrounds, diverse ethnicities and cultures, abilities and disabilities, mental and physical health conditions and intersectionalities.

Please get in touch and share your story with the rest of the OU community.

The OU and Institute of Coding tackle AI and cyber skills gap with free courses

The Open University has teamed up with the Institute of Coding (IoC) to offer free cyber, coding and AI courses to 18-35 year-olds across the UK.

The programme, named Click Start with The Open University, is part of a nationwide initiative funded by Nominet and uses a combination of the OU’s internationally renowned education and real-world insights from employers to help equip young people with digital skills and knowledge at no cost to themselves or the employer.

Five books about modern war

As Russia’s war on Ukraine continues to dominate the media, reports from the front lines show uncannily familiar scenes of soldiers living in trenches like their counterparts in the First World War. As stories of deals, betrayal and high politics lead the news agenda, it’s important to think about the human cost of conflict says Dr Andrew Griffiths, Staff Tutor and Senior Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at the OU. These five books will take you on a journey exploring the damage done to individuals and societies by modern war.

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Have you visited your alumni website recently? If not, why not have a look today? Here you will find information on events and ways to keep in touch.

Here's a reminder of your PI number if you would like to register: 

Time to treat yourself?

Our OU Students Association shop has a range of OU merchandise for you to enjoy and proudly own as one of our alumni, from clothing, accessories, home and leisure, to stationery and jewellery.