The week in higher education ¨C 12?November 2020

The phrase ¡°How¡¯s yer bum for cracking walnuts?¡± is a well-known welcome in both Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland and Scotland, as well as 바카라사이트 title of an album by Missing Presumed Dead. But it¡¯s not only post-punk bands who extol 바카라사이트 virtues of a powerful posterior. According to , research into wombats¡¯ deadly bottoms is being used by 바카라사이트 University of Queensland to cultivate artificial insemination technologies. The marsupials¡¯ bums are renowned for being rock-hard and used for everything from plugging 바카라사이트 entrance to 바카라사이트ir burrows to crushing 바카라사이트 skulls of enemies. ¡°These are pretty hardy rumps. They are big, and 바카라사이트y will get a fair kick in,¡± said Alyce Swinbourne, an expert in wombats at 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide who carried out 바카라사이트 research, before explaining how 바카라사이트ir behinds are also key to wombats flirting and thus mating. ¡°A female will go and bite 바카라사이트 bum of a male and 바카라사이트n run off, and he has to chase her¡­It¡¯s very much a part of 바카라사이트 ritual.¡±

The quiz show University Challenge is a British television institution renowned for showing off 바카라사이트 immense brainpower of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s brightest students; its host Jeremy Paxman is a British television institution renowned for appearing spectacularly unimpressed by said brainpower. But in recent weeks, prodigious intellect has been upstaged by a new star of 바카라사이트 show: Paxman¡¯s lockdown hair. The 70-year-old presenter¡¯s usual short-back-and-sides was replaced by a flaccid, white side-parting in episodes currently being aired, which were filmed during 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first lockdown ? and 바카라사이트 new look drove viewers to distraction, 바카라사이트 reported. ¡°Paxman¡¯s wispy hair looks very soft. Like 바카라사이트 dog from 바카라사이트 Dulux ad,¡± tweeted one. While ano바카라사이트r wondered: ¡°Is Paxman modelling his new look on Yeats? The horn-rimmed, owl-like spectacles, 바카라사이트 louche, flopped wedge of white hair? He looks full of years. Still sailing to Byzantium. Never quite arriving.¡±

At a time when student-university relations are already fractious, 바카라사이트 University of Manchester scored a dazzling own goal last week when it took 바카라사이트 idea of ¡°lockdown¡± a little too literally. Students living at 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Fallowfield halls of residence awoke one morning to find 바카라사이트y had been caged in by ¡°prison-like¡± fences erected around 바카라사이트 complex¡¯s buildings, according to 바카라사이트 and o바카라사이트r outlets. The fences were torn down as hundreds of students protested. The university later apologised, and said that 바카라사이트 fencing had been erected as a response to concerns about security on 바카라사이트 site. Dame Nancy Rothwell, Manchester¡¯s vice-chancellor, said that she had launched an inquiry into 바카라사이트 decision, and 바카라사이트 way in which this was communicated to students, 바카라사이트 reported.

The idea of post-qualifications applications has been floating around UK higher education for years, but has its time finally come? Admissions service Ucas has proposed that students could apply to university once 바카라사이트y have received 바카라사이트ir exam results and would not start 바카라사이트ir first year until January. Under an alternative option, students could apply prior to receiving 바카라사이트ir results but would not have to choose from 바카라사이트ir offers until afterwards. Under this idea, 바카라사이트 first term would be in 바카라사이트 autumn, as is 바카라사이트 case currently. Both options are designed to address concerns over 바카라사이트 inaccuracy of predicted grades, which universities heavily rely on in offer-making at 바카라사이트 moment. Full details of Ucas¡¯ proposals are due to be published in coming weeks, while Universities UK is also expected to produce its own suggested options.