How a 1960s television experiment became the UK's largest university
In 1969, a bold vision for social mobility was launched using abandoned BBC television studios. What began as a project to broadcast lectures via radio and TV has evolved into a global academic powerhouse, proving that the most effective classrooms don't always have four walls.
The Open University (OU) was established in 1969 under the UK Labour government, driven by Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s vision of modernising British society. The project was championed by Minister of State for Education Jennie Lee, who sought to widen access to high-standard scholarship. To overcome technical hurdles, the university initially utilised the vacated BBC television studios at Alexandra Palace, with engineers like James Redmond helping to adapt broadcasting technology for educational use.
While the university's origins were rooted in mass media, its scale has since become unprecedented. Today, it is the largest university in the United Kingdom by student numbers, with approximately 200,00 and a history of educating more than 2.3 million students. Its reach is truly global, hosting over 8,599 overseas students and offering degrees that can be studied anywhere in the world. The institution even holds a rare distinction: it is one of only two UK higher education institutions accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in the United States.
The university's model has shifted significantly from its broadcast roots. While course-based television programmes were a staple from 1971 until 2006, the institution has transitioned toward digital frontiers, including the launch of the FutureLearn MOOC platform in 2013 and the OpenLearn initiative in 2006. Despite the move toward online-only teaching, the OU maintains a massive physical presence at Walton Hall in Milton Keynes, supporting a diverse workforce of over 1,000 academic and research staff and more than 2,500 administrative and support employees.
Source: Open University
