News & articles

This month’s research image of the month (November 2025) captures Professor Natalia Szablewska’s research, which explores how global laws and governance systems can hold businesses and other non-state actors responsible for respecting human rights, especially for vulnerable communities.

PolicyWISE, The Open University’s innovative cross-nation policy research initiative, has been Highly Commended in the ‘One to Watch’ category at the Smart Thinking Awards 2025.

The Open University has contributed to a new House of Lords report on the UK space economy, with several of the report’s recommendations reflecting evidence submitted by the University.

A project which supported the education of adolescent girls at greatest risk of exclusion in Zimbabwe, won International Collaboration of the Year category in the Times Higher Education Awards 2025.

The Open University has been recognised for its research excellence and societal impact at this year’s Green Gown Awards, receiving two Highly Commended honours across key categories.

The Open University-led Open Societal Challenge recognised for empowering older adults to build lasting healthy habits and fostering community wellbeing has won the Self-Care Forum’s 2025 Self-Care Award.

Dr Paul Piwek, Senior Lecturer in Computing, has been awarded £97,000 in funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as part of a large multi-site project titled Wargaming AI – Through the Enemy’s Eyes.

Open University research into the benefits of creative writing to support the wellbeing of staff working in busy hospital wards has led to the creation of a hospital Writer’s Nook.

At the 80th United Nations General Assembly in late September 2025, Dr Alexandra Okada from The Open University, presented groundbreaking research on education in crisis. Speaking at "From the Margins to the Centre: Transforming Education Systems Where It Matters Most," she challenged a fundamental assumption, that children affected by conflict, displacement, and climate emergencies need only academic recovery.

The Women and Equalities Select Committee has recently published its final report on female entrepreneurship, calling for urgent action to tackle deep-rooted gender inequalities in business funding, mentorship and enterprise support.