Royal Commission for AlUla Partners with Ferrandi Paris to Establish Culinary Arts College

The college will offer three-year diploma programs in culinary arts, tourism, and hospitality. SPA
The college will offer three-year diploma programs in culinary arts, tourism, and hospitality. SPA
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Royal Commission for AlUla Partners with Ferrandi Paris to Establish Culinary Arts College

The college will offer three-year diploma programs in culinary arts, tourism, and hospitality. SPA
The college will offer three-year diploma programs in culinary arts, tourism, and hospitality. SPA

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has announced the establishment of Ferrandi Paris College (CAMPUS ALULA).
The college will offer three-year diploma programs in culinary arts, tourism, and hospitality to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful careers in these fields.
The partnership between RCU and Ferrandi Paris, announced at the recently held 8th Future Investment Initiative (FII8) Conference, aligns with AlUla's broader vision of sustainable and human capital development.
The college aims to enroll 100 students in its inaugural year and will offer comprehensive training in traditional and modern French cuisine, confectionery, bakery, and hospitality and tourism services.
This move aims to develop human capital in the fields of culinary arts, hospitality, and tourism, positioning AlUla as a global education hub for these sectors.



This Ancient Tadpole Fossil Is the Oldest Ever Discovered

 A fossil of the world's oldest tadpole, which coexisted with dinosaurs in the Middle Jurassic about 165 million years ago, is pictured next to a 3D-printed representation of the tadpole and of a fully developed frog, in Buenos Aires, Argentina October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
A fossil of the world's oldest tadpole, which coexisted with dinosaurs in the Middle Jurassic about 165 million years ago, is pictured next to a 3D-printed representation of the tadpole and of a fully developed frog, in Buenos Aires, Argentina October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
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This Ancient Tadpole Fossil Is the Oldest Ever Discovered

 A fossil of the world's oldest tadpole, which coexisted with dinosaurs in the Middle Jurassic about 165 million years ago, is pictured next to a 3D-printed representation of the tadpole and of a fully developed frog, in Buenos Aires, Argentina October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
A fossil of the world's oldest tadpole, which coexisted with dinosaurs in the Middle Jurassic about 165 million years ago, is pictured next to a 3D-printed representation of the tadpole and of a fully developed frog, in Buenos Aires, Argentina October 28, 2024. (Reuters)

Scientists have discovered the oldest-known fossil of a giant tadpole that wriggled around over 160 million years ago.

The new fossil, found in Argentina, surpasses the previous ancient record holder by about 20 million years.

Imprinted in a slab of sandstone are parts of the tadpole's skull and backbone, along with impressions of its eyes and nerves.

“It's not only the oldest tadpole known, but also the most exquisitely preserved,” said study author Mariana Chuliver, a biologist at Buenos Aires’ Maimonides University.

Researchers know frogs were hopping around as far back as 217 million years ago. But exactly how and when they evolved to begin as tadpoles remains unclear.

This new discovery adds some clarity to that timeline. At about a half foot (16 centimeters) long, the tadpole is a younger version of an extinct giant frog.

“It's starting to help narrow the timeframe in which a frog becomes a frog,” said Ben Kligman, a paleontologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History who was not involved with the research.

The results were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

The fossil is strikingly similar to the tadpoles of today — even containing remnants of a gill scaffold system that modern-day tadpoles use to sift food particles from water.

That means the amphibians' survival strategy has stayed tried and true for millions of years, helping them outlast several mass extinctions, Kligman said.