Our President Scarlet James recently attended an awards ceremony for the Association of Open University Graduates (AOUG). She had an inspiring day, and wanted to tell you all about it.
One of the great pleasures of being part of the Open University community is discovering where a passion for learning can lead. Attending the Association of Open University Graduates (AOUG) Foundation for Education Research awards ceremony was a wonderful opportunity to see that first-hand.
I thoroughly enjoyed the day, particularly the chance to speak with the researchers and learn more about their work. The range of subjects was remarkable, spanning literature, education, migration and mathematical approaches to understanding the brain. Each conversation offered something different to think about, and a deeper appreciation of the commitment behind the research.
The graduate researchers and their work
The five researchers featured in the displays brought that variety to life:
- Michael Terry’s research explores the representation of aerial combat in First World War literature. Drawing on material including pilots’ accounts, novels and archival sources, he examines how stories of the war in the air developed, and why they often differ from the narratives associated with the trenches. His work invites us to reconsider familiar images of heroic airmen, and to look more closely at how literature shapes our understanding of conflict.
Michael’s own educational journey is equally impressive. Having missed out on completing his school education because of illness, he began studying with the OU while working. That path eventually led him from undergraduate study to a doctorate. His story powerfully shows what access to education can make possible.
- Gwyneth Siobhan Jones, who writes as Jupiter Jones, brings creative practice and literary scholarship together through her research into the novella-in-flash: a longer story built from connected pieces of very short fiction. Her work explores how this form creates meaning through the relationships among its individual fragments.
The creative element of her research, published as The Hyena’s Daughter, reimagines the lives of Fanny Imlay, Mary Shelley and Claire Clairmont, giving particular attention to the often-overlooked Fanny. It is a fascinating combination of historical enquiry and literary invention. Gwyneth’s work demonstrates the originality involved in both studying storytelling and creating something new within it.
- Jon Leer’s research addresses an important and sensitive area of education: the use of seclusion rooms in special schools, special educational needs units, and alternative provision in England. Through the experiences of parents and practitioners, he examines how these practices are understood and the concerns they raise.
By bringing those perspectives into the research, Jon highlights people whose experiences can be missing from wider discussions. His work is clearly relevant to conversations about inclusion, safeguarding, and how schools support children and young people. It is thoughtful research with a strong concern for the people affected by educational decisions.
- Xenia Rochelle Jones’s research focuses on female Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan’s manufacturing sector. It highlights a group whose experiences have received comparatively little research attention, exploring their working lives and how digital technologies help them maintain relationships, share information, and navigate life across borders.
Her approach adapted to pandemic challenges through digital research methods. The result connects questions of migration, work, identity and technology with the everyday experiences of the women involved. Alongside the considerable perseverance described in her educational journey, Xenia’s commitment to producing research that matters to the people it concerns is particularly striking.
- Gregory Holba’s work shows how mathematics can help investigate complex questions about the human body. His research models the movement of cerebrospinal fluid through spaces around blood vessels in the brain, examining processes involved in clearing waste.
These models offer a way to investigate fluid movements that are difficult to measure directly. By exploring the influence of arterial motion and brain pulsations, Gregory is contributing to a better understanding of these processes, and laying the groundwork for further research into brain health. It is an impressive example of mathematical ideas being applied to questions with significant human relevance.
Celebrating these researchers
Together, these projects offered a vivid picture of the breadth of research within the OU community. Behind every display was sustained effort: years of reading, questioning, investigating, writing and refining ideas.
The day also highlighted the value of the AOUG Foundation for Education and the support provided by its members and donors. Creating opportunities to recognise this work gives researchers a deserved moment of celebration, and allows the wider community to share in their achievements.
My warm thanks go to everyone who helped make the ceremony possible, and to the researchers for such interesting conversations. I left with plenty to think about and enormous admiration for their work. They deserve to be celebrated, and it was a pleasure to be there to do exactly that.