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13 years after the establishment of the Open University, its influence has spread well beyond Britain. Iran, Pakistan, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka and Thailand are among countries where the OU has helped to set up Open Universities. The OU already had its own students abroad, including servicemen and their relatives and UK civilians, in Cyprus, north‐west Europe, Germany, Bel‐gium and Holland — in all about 600. About sixty students were involved in the Falklands Campaign last year. The OU, in conjunction with the British Council, has now started courses for UK residents in Brussels; and nearby, a scheme has been launched in which Belgian nationals may become students. Depending on how the Brussels experiment works, major expansion may be undertaken in other areas; discussions have already begun with the Irish Republic and with the United States Services in Europe about the possibilities.