Welcome to the March edition of OpenMinds enews. In February, many of you will have received your most recent copy of OpenMinds, the alumni magazine created especially for the OU family. If you missed your copy, you can find the magazine below.

You can get even more from your magazine by registering to attend OpenMinds Live on Tuesday 29 April. This bespoke, online event promises to be an informative, entertaining, and inspiring look behind the scenes at some of the latest news and fascinating stories from the University and its alumni. Find out more and register for this exciting event below.

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

Best wishes

Emily Rowland-Portch

Alumni Engagement Manager

The Open University

OpenMinds Live

Join us for OpenMinds Live, an exclusive Open University alumni event filled with fascinating speakers and expert academics from across your University. This event will bring to life just some of the stories in the OpenMinds magazine in an exciting live online event.

There is plenty to look forward to in what promises to be a truly fascinating afternoon where we share some of the projects, research, and heartfelt stories from across our OU family.

Confirmed OpenMinds Live speakers include: Dr Caroline Ogilvie, who will speak about the world-renowned partnership between your University and the BBC; Professor Gemma Briggs, Professor of Applied Cognitive Psychology, who will discuss the dangers of distracted driving; and OU student Andy Palin, an electrical engineer working in Antarctica as part of the British Antarctic Survey.*

*Please note that the programme is subject to change.

Honouring Jennie Lee’s Vision: ‘Arts for Everyone, Everywhere’

Culture Secretary, Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, gave the inaugural Jennie Lee lecture – Arts for Everyone – on Thursday 21 February, which marked the 60th anniversary of the first ever arts white paper. Professor Josie Fraser, Interim Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, took a moment to reflect on this remarkable women and what she means to The Open University. Read Professor Fraser’s reflections.

Five books to read if you love Nordic/Scandinavian noir

You know the drill: in a cold and dark place, perhaps at the frontier of human civilisation, a murder has taken place. With fading light and a small community of suspects, our hero must find the killer before the community is driven apart by suspicion in these so-called Nordic-noir films. Samuel Sargeant, Lecturer in Creative Writing at The Open University, and himself a published author in the genre, has curated five books for you to devour.

OU academic awarded Accelerator grant from the Wellcome trust

OU academic Dr Jenny Douglas has been selected for a prestigious Accelerator Award from the Wellcome Trust. The grant of £153,273 will fund research into improving Black women’s health and wellbeing in the UK.

The Wellcome Trust Accelerator Awards support researchers of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the UK to undertake activities that put them in a stronger position to reach their next career stage, as they are currently underrepresented in research funding and experience higher rates of career attrition.

Decolonial dreams: the unmarked scholar reimagines the purpose of post-16 education

Thursday 3 April 2025
17:00 -18:15
Hybrid event: Online and in person, Berrill Theatre, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA

In her inaugural lecture, Carol Azumah Dennis, Professor of Education, Policy and Practice in the OU’s Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, will look at decolonising education, offering a manifesto which envisions an alternative vision of what the sector might be.

This lecture is based on Professor Dennis’s recent research, which looks at decolonisation and suggests a manifesto for post-16 education.

Monday 24 - Friday 28 March

Open Research Week

At The Open University, we’ve always believed in the power of accessible education and research – open is who we are.  From 24-28 March we are celebrating this with a week long series of webinars for Open Research Week.

From AI and openness to citizen science and open access publishing, discover how making research accessible fuels real-world impact. Hear how our openly available data, outputs, and platforms empower researchers everywhere.

Don't miss your chance to learn, collaborate, and push the boundaries of knowledge. Let’s open up research together. 

OU researchers help to solve major planetary science mystery

A researcher at the OU has made strides in cracking an ongoing space unknown by discovering fragments of planets thought to be long gone.

A lack of olivine (a magnesium iron silicate mineral that is a major component of the Earth’s upper mantle) dominated material in the asteroid belt and in our recorded meteorite samples has led to what is known in planetary science as the Great Dunite Shortage or the Missing Mantle Problem.

However, this latest study, published in the Icarus journal, shows that olivine-rich materials may have been hiding in plain sight, and there may be more mantle-like material than we previously thought. This takes planetary science forward a massive step in solving the conundrum.

Subscribe to the OU's brand-new Research Newsletter

The Open University has launched its very first research newsletter on LinkedIn. This newsletter shines a spotlight on our latest world-leading research to tackle society's biggest challenges and make amazing discoveries beyond this planet. Make sure you subscribe to the newsletter to see it on the first Friday of each month. Find the first edition and subscribe on LinkedIn!

OU Research image of the year

In late 2024, The Open University put a call out for academics and researchers to send in an image that encapsulates their research and its impact on the world. We will be sharing one of the 12 selected images each month of 2025.

As part of the campaign, the panel selected a research image of the year which they felt not only encapsulated the individual research but the spirit of the OU.

Forensics: The Real CSI has returned

The OU has once again teamed up with the BBC for another episode of Forensics: The Real CSI that shows the work of police forensic teams investigating. The programme follows the work of detectives and forensic scientists from West Midlands Police as they investigate a suspected murder. The episode aired on Sunday 2 March and is available to watch on iPlayer.

Hobbyists unite in new series of TV’s Make it at Market

Make it at Market follows the fortunes of several keen entrepreneurs, hoping to turn their hobby into their livelihood. It’s all set in a unique, life-changing boot camp where they have eight weeks to prove they have what it takes to put the advice they’ve been given by professional mentors, into practice and start building a successful business.

The programme began on Monday 3 March and is available on iPlayer.

Radio series Rare Earth returns for a new season

Rare Earth has returned for its fourth season hosted by environmental journalist Tom Heap and physicist Helen Czerski.

The new series takes us from the deepest jungle to the frozen north that, sadly, isn’t quite as frozen as it was. President Trump has declared his urge to seize Greenland, but what is it about the Arctic island that excites him? Tom and Helen take a look at the changing geography of the far north and the tempting array of minerals being revealed as climate change melts the ice and eases the access to miners, traders and military interests from the US, Russia and even China.

You can listen on BBC Sounds.

Fallon’s story: ‘Studying with the OU has broadened my horizons’

Fallon, 38, achieved a BSc (Honours) Mathematics and Statistics whilst studying from her home in Malta. Gaining a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree has always been her dream and she hopes to inspire other women to join the industry.

George’s story: ‘I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved, even against the odds’

George, 28, from Brighton, has just graduated with a BSc (Honours) Computing & IT. Since completing his degree, his career has gone from strength-to-strength thanks to his studies, with promotions and even a nomination for Business Analyst of the Year 2024.

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.

Pursuing your passion: an innovative postgraduate study experience

YXM830 Advance your independent learning offers you the freedom to explore a topic and issues that matter most to you.

Developing research, critical thinking, digital and academic literacy skills, you can choose how to present your findings to your target audience (e.g. through a written or graphic report, policy brief, framework document, information booklet, workbook or training manual, a presentation, audiovisual resource, doctoral research proposal or an article for publication). 

The qualification's flexibility allows you the opportunity to play to your strengths to suit your needs. You will foster interdisciplinary learning and interprofessional conversations, enhancing your professional prospects and personal development. Through investigating topics that are of global importance such as climate change, social justice, education and healthcare amongst others that you might choose, you can make meaningful connections across disciplines and prepare for real-world challenges. YXM830 can be taken standalone or as part of the MA or MSc Open.

I have an accent, (why) does it matter?

Most people recognise if someone speaks with a foreign accent. But to define what a foreign accent is exactly, is not so easy. There is a consensus that it refers to deviations in pronunciation from ‘target-like’ or native speech. However, defining what ‘target-like’ speech is, can be challenging. Native speech varies considerably depending on the region where it is spoken, the speaker’s background and the context where it is used. Some linguists refer to ‘perceived foreign accent,’ but accent by nature and by definition is something that is noticed by listeners. This means that for someone to have an accent a listener is also needed who perceives it as such.

Explore your world with free learning from the OU

We've got thousands of ways to learn: short articles by academic experts from the OU and beyond; videos; podcasts; even, if you're really keen, free courses. You can navigate your own bespoke path through our content, choosing by subject, type of experience, or most popular!

Are you interested in combining clinical work with post graduate study?

Are you a Registered Nurse or Social Worker currently working in National Health Service or Social Care settings? The National Institute for Health and Care Research offers Registered Nurses and Social Workers the opportunity to combine clinical work whilst preparing for post graduate study through its Pre-doctoral Clinical and Academic Fellowships or ‘PCAF’. As a member of our Open University Alumni, you can access support to develop an application for this program for 2026. For more information, please email Professor Felicity Astin (Felicity.Astin@open.ac.uk). Informal enquiries welcome.

If you don’t follow us on social media, please do! Just click on the icons below and join our online conversations. Your contributions help inspire the next generation of OU students and spur current students on to get to that well-deserved graduation day.

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.