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OpenLearn Profile

Professor Simon Bell

Professor Simon Bell

The Open University, Department of Engineering and Innovation

Professional biography

Simon is Professor of Innovation and Methodology at The Open University.

He is an internationally recognised authority on group facilitation and helping communities achieve sustainability. He has more than thirty years’ experience in devising and applying practical methods for exploring the sustainable signature of groups and communities. His work in over 40 countries and with over 100 organisations ranges from the United Nations and the European Union to small charities and NGOs.

He has published over 200 items including books, graphic novels and journal papers and is currently Professor of Innovation and Methodology at The Open University as well as Chief Executive Officer of the Bayswater Institute in London. In his work for the Institute he makes use of Subliminal Stories in personal coaching and group work – primarily in the Bayswater flag ship: Wisdom in Groups where he makes use of the Double Task approach to achieving GroupAware. 

Much of Simon’s current work relates to the identification and alleviation of fear in personal, group and organisational settings – his recent book: ‘The Formations of Terror' sets out a thesis on the basis for and the management of fear. The book is supported by the OU website Project Fear.

Academic advisor for: Guide to diagrams, Terminal Cities

Professor Simon Bell's activities

Browse 8 OpenLearn items Professor Simon Bell has worked on

Professor Simon Bell's Research & Publications

Professor Simon Bell, Tessa Berg and Morse Steve (2019) Towards an Understanding of Rich Picture Interpretation, In Systemic Practice and Action Research
Professor Simon Bell and Stephen Morse (2018-06-13) Indicators and Post Truth, In Sustainability, Routledge
Professor Simon Bell and Stephen Morse (editors) (2018-06-13) Routledge Handbook of Sustainability Indicators, Routledge
Professor Simon Bell and Stephen Morse (2018-05-26) Sustainability Indicators Past and Present: What Next?, In Sustainability 5(10)
Professor Simon Bell and Stephen Morse (2018-05-13) Participatory Approaches for the Development and Evaluation of Sustainability Indicators, Routledge
Professor Simon Bell and Stephen Morse (2018-05-13) What Next?, Routledge
Professor Simon Bell et al. (2018-02) Smart Cities and M3: Rapid Research, Meaningful Metrics and Co-Design, In Systemic Practice and Action Research 1(31)
Professor Simon Bell and Stephen Morse (2017-11-20) A basis for systemic sustainability measurement: an update, Routledge
Professor Simon Bell (2017-09-06) ‘Imagine’: mapping sustainability indicators, Policy Press
Professor Simon Bell et al. (2017-06) Sustainability and distance learning: a diverse European experience?, In Open Learning 2(32)

Browse Professor Simon Bell 's latest research on Open Research Online