Latest news from Loughborough University

3 May 2013

Loughborough University joins the British Museum and four more universities for the FutureLearn revolution

The first free, open, online platform for courses from multiple UK universities and other leading higher education institutions has announced a further five partners today (3 May), including Loughborough University and the British Museum.

Loughborough and the British Museum join Strathclyde and Glasgow universities, alongside 17 other universities, the British Council and British Library, as part of FutureLearn, with each committing to providing engaging and entertaining courses when the site launches.

Loughborough will offer courses in mathematics, enterprise and innovation – areas in which the University already has a well-established reputation for excellence.

FutureLearn was founded in December 2012 and now has 24 partners including those announced today.

FutureLearn Launch CEO Simon Nelson said:

“We are delighted that more of the UK’s leading universities, along with one of its most popular cultural institutions, have agreed to work with FutureLearn and will join the growing ranks of institutions that will offer high quality, entertaining and enjoyable courses to people across the world. We are committed to removing the barriers to education by making learning more accessible, inspiring and useful to people, no matter what stage of life they are at. These partnerships will enable us to open up access to the best academics from world-class universities and cultural institutions and deliver new forms of social learning at large scale.” 

Professor Morag Bell, Pro Vice Chancellor for Teaching at Loughborough University, said:

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with FutureLearn. Loughborough has a well-established reputation for providing its students with a first-class education. Through these online courses, we will be able to make these outstanding learning opportunities available to even greater numbers of students.”

−ENDS−

Notes for editors

Article reference number: PR 13/71

  1. FutureLearn will make it possible to learn for life, offering unique access to some of the most inspiring learning opportunities from the world’s greatest learning centres.

    FutureLearn.com will offer free, accessible courses to people wherever they are in the world.  Courses will be created by the Universities of Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Anglia, Exeter, Glasgow, Leicester, Loughborough, Kings College London, Lancaster, Leeds, Nottingham, The Open University, Queen’s Belfast, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, St Andrews, Strathclyde and Warwick.  In addition, the British Museum, British Library and British Council have all signed MoUs to share content and their expertise and collaborate in the development of courses through FutureLearn.com.

  2. Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

    It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year 2008-09 title, and is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in national newspaper league tables. In the 2011 National Student Survey, Loughborough was voted one of the top universities in the UK, and has been voted England's Best Student Experience for six years running in the Times Higher Education league. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded six Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

    It is a member of the 1994 Group of 11 leading research-intensive universities. The Group was established in 1994 to promote excellence in university research and teaching. Each member undertakes diverse and high-quality research, while ensuring excellent levels of teaching and student experience.

Contact for all media enquiries

FutureLearn
Andrew Szwajkowski
Edelman PR
T: 020 3047 4040
E: andrew.szwajkowski@edelman.com

Additional contact information

Hannah Baldwin
Head of PR
Loughborough University
T: 01509 222239
E: H.E.Baldwin@lboro.ac.uk