Company profile : The Open University

The unique story of the Open University has created an organisation with a passion for sharing knowledge and learning. The University is acknowledged leader in the effectiveness of its teaching and in its regional infrastructure which covers the whole of the UK and extends around the world. It provides educational access of the very highest quality to people in diverse communities whether that is in the Highlands of Scotland, London or Beijing.

At our main campus in Milton Keynes we have a vibrant research community developing intellectual capital in cross-cutting themes relevant to business and informed by both a UK and an international economic and social agenda.

For example, the ESRC Innogen Centre, a joint venture with Edinburgh University, focuses upon the effects of progress in life sciences, especially genomics, and how these affect global food and health needs. The Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute hosts the largest UK planetary sciences research team and has established a world class reputation for space exploration research. The new Ambient Technology Laboratory opens this year bringing together new configurations of staff from different disciplines for ongoing research into highly technology-enabled environments. Our life scientists are at the forefront in developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the diseases of ageing and diagnosis and treatment of cancers. OU researchers are also acknowledged leaders in research supporting the management of environmental change from inter-governmental to individual; surveillance and security; and the management of innovation. All areas benefit from collaboration with business.

In addition to conventional technology transfer routes: collaborations, patents, licensing, knowledge transfer partnerships, match-funded PhD students (over 300 full-time and 480 part-time research students), corporate-funded chairs, we lead in the use of new media for communication and participation.

The redesign of our learning environment with our world class research in education is enabling peer-to-peer learning across geographically disparate communities; innovative three-way learning and development relationships between employers, employees and academics; and a blurring of the boundaries between research and learning. Our collaborations with the TUC: UnionLearn and Unison encourage learning and development for staff unused to higher education thereby enabling employees to develop their skills (e.g. management, technical, ICT, scientific, mathematical) whatever their starting point and follow a journey through to professional, vocational and postgraduate qualifications.

Another distinctive feature of the Open University is the development of OpenLearn wwwopenlearn.open.ac.uk/ providing effective online learning free globally and an open source labspace; Open Research Online www.oro.open.ac.uk/ providing one of the largest repositories of University research. The reinvention of our flagship partnership with the BBC has seen the development of programmes such as the Money Programme, Meet the Immigrants, Chinese School and Coast. These link to www.open2.net providing a forum for the ongoing sharing of research. Podcasts on ethics are surprisingly popular

See www.open.ac.uk/research/
Or contact:
Prof. Brigid Heywood,
Pro Vice Chancellor
(Research and Enterprise)
Email: innovation-enterprise@open.ac.uk
Tel: 01908 659783/274066