 In 2019, the Open University is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we are launching a series of lectures. In the first lecture in January, I will be talking to you how learning has changed over this period and shaped the universities today. The story of human race is the story of learning. Making sense of the world around us is driven by the need to survive and the need to satisfy our curiosity. These remain motivation to learn. In my lecture, I will reflect on the role of learning and universities in contemporary societies and future societies.