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SCRIPT

Good morning.

You may be listening from home or perhaps you’re already on the road. In truth there are fewer of us on the road these days, fewer of us battling through traffic or crowds. We had hoped to leave Covid-19 arrangements in the year that has passed and learn to live with it this year but the coronavirus has other ideas. Many of us continue to work from home and some students continue to learn from home too.

Today in 1973 saw the first degrees awarded to students who had studied at home with the Open University. The Open University offered an opportunity to those who could not take time off from family life or time out from earning a wage. Working from home was and continues to be an opportunity that would open doors for many throughout the years of the University’s history.

While we are particularly conscious now of how important in-person interactions are, of shaking hands with friends and strangers, of touching the shoulder of those who are struggling we are also learning to embrace new ways of doing things. Things we never thought we could learn to do are now second nature – virtual meetings, video calls, the normality of a virtual dinner or coffee break. We humans are eternally innovative - we learn to embrace new ways of doing things just as we have learned to value the Open University.

Lord God, unlike you we are bound by time and place. We are grateful for innovation and give thanks for the changes we are embracing in work and study and human interaction. Amen.