Editorial - Volume 20, Issue 4

Fifty years since the establishment of the Open University in the United Kingdom (UKOU) seems an appropriate time to evaluate the current status of and outlook for the world's open universities. There is much to celebrate, not only in the UK, but also in the 60-80 (depending upon definitions) open universities around the world. The rapid development of communication technologies has both enhanced and challenged the particular role of the open university. This special issue of IRRODL offers a number of perspectives on its evolution in many different national settings -what it has achieved, the challenges it faces and its options for the future. There are an estimated 8 million students in open universities around the world, with more such institutions still being created. This underlines the success of open universities since the inception of the UKOU in 1969, an achievement of extending educational boundaries that stands up well against the dramatic expansion of physical boundaries represented by the moon landing of the same year. The Open University model fundamentally changed notions as to who should and could benefit from a university education and the approaches to teaching and learning that would facilitate such access. For more depth on the UKOU, readers are referred to the perspectives of its founding Vice-Chancellor (Perry, 1976) and a much more recent history (Weinbren, 2015).