Brexit: Students in Norway Warned to Avoid UK Universities

Here Youth Time Magazine publishes three of the most interesting and informative youth related news items of the past week. Our weekly news roundup is published every Monday and Friday and contains […]

Here Youth Time Magazine publishes three of the most interesting and informative youth related news items of the past week. Our weekly news roundup is published every Monday and Friday and contains just some of the most important developments in the world of global youth. Follow, like and submit comments on Facebook and other Youth Time media.

Norway students warned to avoid UK universities 

Students in Norway are being advised by the government to avoid enrolling in British universities.  Iselin Nybø, the higher education minister, argued that the uncertainty over the UK’s divorce from the EU meant young Norwegians should be cautious about studying in the country.

“If you’re a student and plan to travel out of Norway to study this autumn, I recommend you look at other countries than Great Britain,” she told public television. Her warning comes as the European commission outlines plans to protect the Erasmus study programme if there is a “no-deal” Brexit.

The British ambassador to Norway, Richard Wood, tweeted in response that “the UK remains an attractive place for Norwegians to study. I hope it always will.” But professors and other educational professionals have expressed doubt that Brexit will have a dramatic impact on the number of European students choosing the UK.  

The number of EU postgraduate students applying for places at Russell Group institutions, which comprise 24 of the UK’s leading universities, has fallen by 9% in the past year. By contrast, the number of Chinese students applying for places has shot up. Applications for undergraduate degrees from Chinese nationals rose to 21,000 last year. Chinese postgraduates now account for almost one third of the UK postgrad population.

Period emoji released to help beat embarrassment  

A new emoji symbolising menstruation has been unveiled to help convey the message that there should be no shame attached to experiencing a period. The emoji was launched by Plan International, which has been working on its design for almost two years.

The NGO decided to create the period emoji after a survey found that 48% of females aged 14-21 were embarrassed by menstruation. Around half of women aged 18-34 surveyed said they would use a period emoji and that it would make it easier for them to discuss the subject with their partners, families and friends.

The emoji is a drop of red blood. It can also represent blood donation, which has led to some criticism among feminists who thought it was a compromise. More than 50,000 people, however, signed a petition calling for the emoji, which has been approved by the Unicode Consortium, which is trying to create a global standard of non-textual computer communication.

As well as the period emoji there will be more than 200 other emojis approved by the Unicode Consortium and released this year. The main theme is inclusivity, with holding hands emojis available for the same sex, or with different skin tones. There will also be prosthetic limbs and emojis for people with disabilities.

Other emojis to be released this year include garlic, orangutans, a yo-yo, and waffles.

European Youth Olympic Winter Festival

The 2019 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival (EYOF) is now underway in Sarajevo, Bosnia. It is the 14th edition of the competition, which is one of the biggest sporting events in Europe with around 1,500 young athletes from 50 countries taking part.

Like the Winter Olympics, there will be a wide range of different sports, including skiing, snowboarding and figure skating. The opening ceremony was on Sunday February 10 and the games will finish on Saturday February 16.

It is the first time the EYOF has been held in Bosnia and it takes place every two years, with a summer Olympic festival for European youth due to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan in July 2019. Athletes are aged 14-18 and many go on to become Olympic stars, enjoying success as adults.

Photo: Shutterstock

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