About Us

Futurelearn is the first UK-led, multi-institutional platform for free, open, online courses. We will increase access to higher education for students in the UK and around the world by offering a diverse range of high quality courses through a single website. We are partnering with the British Library, British Council and 17 of the UK’s top universities and will launch our first courses later this year.

Futurelearn is a private company solely owned by the Open University. This enables us to build on the OU’s unparalleled expertise in delivering distance learning and in pioneering open education.

At Futurelearn we believe there is great potential to change the way people access high quality higher education. With our partners, we are seizing the opportunity to create amazing new learning experiences, twinned with a clear pathway to qualifications for those that want them.

Futurelearn is the first UK-led, multi-university platform for free, open, online courses.

Our People

Simon Nelson – Launch CEO

Simon Nelson

Simon Nelson was an early pioneer in taking media brands and content online. Joining the BBC in 1997, he became Head of Strategy for BBC Radio in 1998. He went on to set up and manage all digital activities for BBC Radio & Music, where he launched its world-leading podcast service in 2005 as well as the Radio Player. He then moved to head up all digital activities for the BBC’s television divisions where he helped launch the iPlayer and built an award winning portfolio of online and cross platform services.

Since leaving the BBC, he has led a number of projects in TV, radio and publishing sectors for companies including Random House, UKTV, Specific Media and New York Public Radio. He currently oversees digital activities for Phaidon Press and Lime Pictures, roles he will retain whilst joining Futurelearn Ltd as Launch CEO.

Our Partners

Futurelearn is working in partnership with the British Council, the British Library, the British Museum and the following universities:

• University of Bath
• University of Birmingham
• Bristol University
• Cardiff University
• University of East Anglia (UEA)
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• King’s College London
• Lancaster University
• University of Leeds
• University of Leicester
• Loughborough University
• University of Nottingham
• The Open University
• Queen’s University, Belfast
• University of Reading
• The University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• University of St Andrews
• University of Strathclyde
• University of Warwick

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