This talk traces the history and modus operandi of the Open University in the United Kingdom, placing it in the context of trends in higher education across the world. The pressures arising from demographic change and widening participation challenge both traditional systems and the assumptions on which they were based. Add an economic crisis and the seismic shifts prompted by technology, and it seems that traditional systems will be seriously disrupted. Drawing on experience as president of two universities, one in South Africa and another in the United Kingdom, Brenda Gourley will share lessons for leadership and management.