一般如果不大寫,泛指在線大學(xué)、遠(yuǎn)程教育大學(xué).
不過真有一所英國大學(xué)的名字叫Open University,官方叫公開大學(xué),或譯英國公開大學(xué)或英國開放大學(xué)）是英國的遙距教育大學(xué),1969年建立.中央辦公廳是在英國東南部Buckinghamshire,Milton Keynes 的 Walton Hall,另外在英國其他地方設(shè)立了有13座辦公室.大部分的學(xué)生是住在英國的,但也有來自歐洲,非洲和遠(yuǎn)東的學(xué)生.
英文介紹：
The Open University (commonly Open University or OU,but officially the is part of its name) is the UK's distance learning government-supported university notable for having an open entry policy,i.e.students' previous academic achievements are not taken into account for entry to most undergraduate courses.It was established in 1969 and the first students enrolled in January 1971.The majority of students are based in the UK,but its courses can be studied anywhere in the world.The administration is based at Walton Hall,Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire,but has regional centres in each of its thirteen regions around the UK.It also has offices in other European countries.The university awards undergraduate and postgraduate degrees,as well as non-degree qualifications such as diplomas and certificates,or continuing education units.
With more than 180,000 students enrolled,including more than 25,000 students studying overseas,it is the largest academic institution in the UK by student number,and qualifies as one of the world's largest universities.Since it was founded,more than 3 million students have studied its courses.It was rated top University in England and Wales for student satisfaction in the 2005 and 2006 UK government national student satisfaction survey,and second in the 2007 survey.