Britain hasn't has the best of luck with online universities and degrees, sustaining losses in the hundreds of millions. But still, the nation's higher education advocates persevere.

Open University and Manchester--two of Britain's largest universities--have joined forces to make the first truly successful strides in the industry. They want to make online degrees available for students all over the world, and if their lofty goals are any indication ("We want to change the world") this may be exactly the shock of ambition the online higher education industry needs.

Together they believe they will be well placed to cater for the exploding demand for higher education across the world with joint degrees that will carry an international cachet. They reckon Manchester has the wide curriculum and research strengths, and the OU knows how to reach students other universities don't and, crucially, to support them through a degree.The best of luck to Manchester, Open University, and all other people and institutions who work to make education widely accessible.