Due to the war and search for prospects: graduating girls are massively leaving Ukraine for education abroad

The difficulties associated with the prolonged war are forcing young people to choose universities outside of Ukraine. New data indicates a concerning rise in the number of young women deciding to study abroad.

Reported by UNN with reference to Telegraph.

Details

Due to the costly war of attrition waged by Russia against Ukraine, young women are increasingly choosing other countries to continue their education. These are European countries, such as Poland, which has accepted more Ukrainian undergraduate students than any other country on the continent.

According to media outlets referenced by The Telegraph, the number of undergraduate students in the country constituted almost 45% of the total number of foreign individuals enrolled in Polish universities.

A student named Sofia told journalists that the longer the Russian war against Ukraine lasts, the more people want to leave.

When the war started, people were very excited. But a lot of time has passed, and people are more depressed. They think that life is better in another country

English teacher Halyna Pidhrebelna agrees with this.

Girls who leave Ukraine "see no future here" and believe that better career opportunities lie abroad

Commenting on the discussion later in a small staff room over coffee, she said she hopes a ceasefire might change things, but had lost faith in America's willingness to support Ukraine after Donald Trump's election.

Another comment is from Kira, who said she had to flee Zaporizhzhia for relative safety to western Ukraine.

Before the war, I never thought about leaving. My hometown was small – not like Lviv, without such buildings and historical monuments. I thought I would enter university in Kyiv or Kharkiv

But as Poland was only a few kilometers away, Kira and her family began to visit the country regularly, the article states. This experience helped the girl "visualize studying in a similar historical Polish city like Krakow".

The appeal of prestigious educational institutions in Europe attracts young Ukrainians.

But mostly, they just want to escape the war.

When you have air raid sirens or bombings, studying is impossible. You need to go online or to a bomb shelter – I want to succeed

She adds that her best friend, who fled to Lviv from the eastern Sumy region, has also applied to a university in Krakow.

Tetyana Marviy, 17, planned to stay in Lviv but changed her plans – partly due to air raid sirens during her exams. And also after her cousin received worse-than-expected grades.

"It's really stressful in Ukraine," she said.

A trip to friends in neighboring Lithuania inspired her to try studying international relations in the capital, Vilnius – if she can pass the English language test for her course.

It was difficult to make this decision. My parents said: you can do it, you are smart, you can go abroad. But I wasn't sure. My idea was just to have a life here – find a job, help my parents. But since the situation has changed, our plans have also changed

Let us remind you

A law has come into effect in Ukraine that allows recognition of the educational achievements of Ukrainian students abroad. However, this does not apply to education obtained in aggressor countries.

21% of Ukrainians are ready to emigrate after borders fully open, with men and youth predominating among them.

Harvard University is negotiating with other universities regarding the temporary accommodation of foreign students who are banned from entering the USA due to Trump's restrictions.