Lord Hall, Director General of the BBC, hosted a special reception on 13th March 2019 in London to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Open University (OU). The occasion celebrated the unique OU/BBC partnership, its achievements and the shared social mission of both National institutions. Working together the BBC and the Open University established a new approach to education by pioneering learning through television and radio. Their partnership has produced landmark programming that has captivated generations of viewers from Blue Planet to Child of our Time, from Civilisations to Stargazing Live.
50 years of success
In an inspiring address, Lord Hall put the success of the partnership down to three things; a shared social mission; the joint desire to capture the imagination and minds of millions and how to adapt and change the way we reach people.
“We share the same ambitions. We are universal – we’re here for everyone. The Open University – and the BBC – are two institutions that this country should be very proud of. I say that without a hint of complacency, but they are both phenomenally important to the fabric of the UK. Together, we believe that each one of us should have the same opportunities to learn. Together, we believe that we should all be able to wander through knowledge.”
He also highlighted how instrumental Sir David Attenborough was when, in 1965 as the controller of BBC 2, he was given responsibility of making Jennie Lee’s concept of The Open University into a practical reality – the OU is now a key part of her legacy.
Today the OU/BBC partnership enables the exploration of subjects that changes lives, that sparks imagination in millions of people and creates engaging content to further lifelong learning. All of which would not be possible without the support from The Open University and the involvement of its academics. “We’re so proud of what this partnership achieves – and how it works.”
Capturing the imagination of millions
Baroness Martha Lane-Fox expressed her pride at being the Chancellor of The Open University saying that it is “the best job in the world.” She also offered thanks to all those who have been involved in the partnership and highlighted how its has empowered over two million students across 157 countries to transform their lives through learning – helping to make the impossible, possible.
“There are many people here tonight who have been or are part of producing some of the wonderful content we’ve glimpsed from the show reels. I’d like to thank them all… and a thank you Tony and BBC for helping us to make education open for all. We look forward to many more years of working together and changing lives.” She also gave special thanks to Sir David Attenborough for all his support establishing the partnership almost 50 years ago.
Continuing the learning journey
The OU’s unique educational partnership with the BBC provides content across TV, radio and digital channels and platforms. Each year the OU co-produces approximately 35 prime-time TV and radio series including, for TV, Blue Planet II, Civilisations, Dangerous Border: A Journey Across India and Pakistan, Drugsland, The Secrets of Silicon Valley, Rome Unpacked and Flatpack Empire. And for Radio, commissions include More or Less, The Global Philosopher and The Bottom Line.
Click here for a BBC Archives video on the University that sparked an education
About the OU
The Open University was one of the world’s first successful distance teaching universities, founded on the belief that communications technology could bring high quality degree-level learning to people who had not had the opportunity to attend traditional campus universities.
For further information visit http://www.open.ac.uk/
Exhibition: The OU Story
This exhibition is a brief journey through the history of the University, using materials held in The Open University Archive to look at some of the main events and developments – from Harold Wilson’s initial plans in 1963, the creation of the University in 1969 and developments through to the present day.
For further information https://www.open.ac.uk/library/digital-archive/exhibition/53
The above is an excerpt from an article by Rachel James.
Rachel James is Deputy Head of the Media Relations team. She is a skilled communicator with more than ten years’ experience in Public Relations. She holds a BA (Hons) Media Production from the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside. Rachel specialises in stories from the Faculty of Business and Law, students, academic research, BBC programmes, technology, innovation and skills. For more information visit https://ounews.co/author/rachel-jamesopen-ac-uk/