Latest news with #TuringScheme
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Rainbow Room International brings Japanese innovation to the Ayr salon
Ayr salon director Riccardo Corvi and apprentice Ava Lester returned from the experience with a deeper appreciation for precision, calm, and purpose in hairdressing. After an inspiring educational trip to Japan, Scotland's largest salon group, the award-winning Rainbow Room International, is now implementing key insights gained from the experience into their salon environment. The trip was made possible by Laura Leigh Kerr, the Director of Howard Street Academy, and the 2024 Educator of the Year for the prestigious Fellowship for British Hairdressing. She played a crucial role in securing the successful bid that allowed the group to embark on the unique, once-in-a-lifetime journey to the Far East.. The opportunity followed a rigorous application process funded by the Turing Scheme, which ultimately approved the trip. The experience was not only an opportunity for the eight young apprentices selected to participate, but it also proved transformative for everyone involved. The meticulous techniques, respectful client rituals, and deep appreciation for the hairdressing profession in Japan left a lasting impression. For Riccardo Corvi, salon director of Rainbow Room International Ayr, and apprentice Ava Lester, the educational trip to Japan was a profound reminder that true excellence in hairdressing lies in technique, focus, and the courage to create with intention. Travelling as part of the select group representing Scotland's leading salon group, Riccardo and Ava were immersed in Japan's unique salon culture, where discipline, calm, and craft go hand in hand. Riccardo said: "What we experienced wasn't just skill, it was precision with purpose. Everything we saw, from cutting to styling, was about control, discipline and deep respect for the process. That mindset has already elevated how we're approaching our work back in Ayr." Ava, one of the eight apprentices chosen for the opportunity, was particularly struck by the serenity of the salons. She said: "It was so chilled and quiet. You felt relaxed as soon as you stepped in, like you were in a completely different world." But beyond the atmosphere, it was the technique that left a lasting impact. Ava described a hair-up demonstration that used just a single pin to create a perfectly formed French roll, no heat, barely any product, only backcombing and technique. She said: "It was so precise and so effortless. It showed me how much you can achieve when you strip it all back and focus on the craft." Riccardo agreed that this minimalist, deeply considered approach is something his team in Ayr is now embracing more than ever. He added: "Less product, less rushing, more thought, more purpose. The team has returned with a sharper eye, a steadier hand, and a real appreciation for the power of precision." Inspired by Japanese calm, clarity, and technical mastery, both Riccardo and Ava are championing a return to thoughtful creativity, where each section, snip and styling move is done with care, clarity and confidence. Riccardo said: "Japan reminded us that hairdressing is an art form, one that deserves time, focus, and a genuine love of the craft. "And that's exactly the energy we're bringing back to Ayr."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
British students to be barred from Turing exchange scheme following Trump visa ban
British students are expected to be barred from spending a year at American universities under Donald Trump's sweeping visa ban. Tens of thousands of UK students are waiting to hear a decision on their funding applications for this year's Turing Scheme, which allows them to enrol at universities around the world for up to a year. Those who applied to study at US colleges next year are expected to be turned down under White House plans, unless they have already received their visas. It comes after Mr Trump ramped up his attack on American universities by ordering US embassies to halt all new visa interviews for prospective international students. In a leaked cable shared on Tuesday, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, also demanded an 'expansion' of social media vetting for all student visa applicants. The changes, which Mr Rubio said would come into effect 'in the coming days', will apply to student exchange visas as well as those for full-time international students. A Whitehall source confirmed to The Telegraph that J-1 exchange visas required for the Turing Scheme were affected by the ban, but said some students may have already secured their visas for next year. The UK Government will monitor the situation and is discussing potential implications with universities, The Telegraph understands. British universities could still change the preferred destination for any Turing Scheme participants affected by the US ban. The Department for Education is responsible for Britain's study abroad programme, but individual universities must organise their students' applications. More than 3,100 British students were offered placements in the US last year as part of the Turing Scheme, which replaced the Erasmus+ scheme after the UK left the EU-wide programme in 2020. The US was the third most popular location after Spain and France. It means thousands of UK students could have their study abroad plans ripped up or be sent to different countries, while British pupils planning to start at US colleges full-time this autumn have had their plans thrown into chaos. Prospective students can apply for full-time study visas up to a year in advance of their course start date, but many colleges send out admissions decisions in spring – meaning many may still be awaiting a visa interview. The number of UK students at US universities has remained broadly stable over the past decade or so, while enrolments from other countries have soared. A record 1.1 million foreign students were enrolled at American universities last year, more than 10,000 of whom were British, according to the Institute of International Education. However, top private schools have increasingly encouraged pupils to apply to Ivy League colleges in the past few years amid frustrations over UK universities' focus on state school admissions. Eton College reportedly sent around a fifth of its leavers to American universities in 2022, with 50 pupils heading for top US destinations such as Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale and Columbia. Mr Trump has taken aim at many of those institutions and threatened to end their federal funding after accusing them of fostering anti-Semitism and adopting biased admissions policies. The US leader has frozen around $3.2 billion of federal funding for Harvard in recent weeks, sparking a bitter tit-for-tat and multiple lawsuits from the oldest university in the US. Turmoil in the US could, however, prove an unexpected boon for UK universities, which are grappling with a funding crisis fuelled by their drop in foreign student numbers. A recent British Council report said British higher education could benefit from Mr Trump's re-election, with international students now more likely to seek out alternative English-speaking destinations. The move could also intensify competition for places at some British universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. Rohan Agarwal, the founder of UniAdmissions, said he was bracing for 'an even greater acceleration in demand for Oxbridge and other top UK institutions' if the Trump administration followed through with its visa crackdown. A US State Department spokesman said it did not comment on internal communications, but that the Trump administration was focused on upholding the highest national security standards. The spokesman said the department would focus on prohibiting entry to the US for those who might pose a threat to America's security. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
British students to be barred from Turing exchange scheme following Trump visa ban
British students are expected to be barred from spending a year at American universities under Donald Trump's sweeping visa ban. Tens of thousands of UK students are waiting to hear a decision on their funding applications for this year's Turing Scheme, which allows them to enrol at universities around the world for up to a year. Those who applied to study at US colleges next year are expected to be turned down under White House plans, unless they have already received their visas. It comes after Mr Trump ramped up his attack on American universities by ordering US embassies to halt all new visa interviews for prospective international students. Changes expected soon In a leaked cable shared on Tuesday, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, also demanded an 'expansion' of social media vetting for all student visa applicants. The changes, which Mr Rubio said would come into effect 'in the coming days', will apply to student exchange visas as well as those for full-time international students. A Whitehall source confirmed to The Telegraph that J-1 exchange visas required for the Turing Scheme were affected by the ban, but said some students may have already secured their visas for next year. The UK Government will monitor the situation and is discussing potential implications with universities, The Telegraphunderstands. British universities could still change the preferred destination for any Turing Scheme participants affected by the US ban. The Department for Education is responsible for Britain's study abroad programme, but individual universities must organise their students' applications. More than 3,100 British students were offered placements in the US last year as part of the Turing Scheme, which replaced the Erasmus+ scheme after the UK left the EU-wide programme in 2020. The US was the third most popular location after Spain and France. It means thousands of UK students could have their study abroad plans ripped up or be sent to different countries, while British pupils planning to start at US colleges full-time this autumn have had their plans thrown into chaos. Prospective students can apply for full-time study visas up to a year in advance of their course start date, but many colleges send out admissions decisions in spring – meaning many may still be awaiting a visa interview. UK students in the US The number of UK students at US universities has remained broadly stable over the past decade or so, while enrolments from other countries have soared. A record 1.1 million foreign students were enrolled at American universities last year, more than 10,000 of whom were British, according to the Institute of International Education. However, top private schools have increasingly encouraged pupils to apply to Ivy League colleges in the past few years amid frustrations over UK universities' focus on state school admissions. Eton College reportedly sent around a fifth of its leavers to American universities in 2022, with 50 pupils heading for top US destinations such as Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale and Columbia. Mr Trump has taken aim at many of those institutions and threatened to end their federal funding after accusing them of fostering anti-Semitism and adopting biased admissions policies. The US leader has frozen around $3.2 billion of federal funding for Harvard in recent weeks, sparking a bitter tit-for-tat and multiple lawsuits from the oldest university in the US. Turmoil in the US could, however, prove an unexpected boon for UK universities, which are grappling with a funding crisis fuelled by their own drop in foreign student numbers. A recent British Council report said British higher education could benefit from Mr Trump's re-election, with international students now more likely to seek out alternative English-speaking destinations. The move could also intensify competition for places at some British universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. Rohan Agarwal, the founder of UniAdmissions, said he was bracing for 'an even greater acceleration in demand for Oxbridge and other top UK institutions' if the Trump administration followed through with its visa crackdown. A US State Department spokesman said it did not comment on internal communications, but that the Trump administration was focused on upholding the highest national security standards. The spokesman said the department would focus on prohibiting entry to the US for those who might pose a threat to America's security.
Telegraph
21-03-2025
- Telegraph
I flew from Miami to London, now I'm stranded in Madrid: The passengers hit by Heathrow shutdown
A businesswoman has been left stranded in Madrid after her flight back from Miami to Heathrow was diverted due to the Heathrow shutdown. Ani Naqvi's flight left Miami, Florida, at 6.30pm on Thursday night, and it was expected to land at 6.45am at London Heathrow on Friday morning. But her flight became one of the 1,351 affected by the substation fire resulting in the flight landing nearly 800 miles away from her intended destination – in Madrid. As many as 291,000 passengers travelling to and from Heathrow are thought to have been affected by the blaze, which is now being investigated by counter-terrorism police. Ms Naqvi, who had been attending a conference in Miami, told the Telegraph: 'Within an hour of landing time, I asked the crew when we were landing at Heathrow but received a cryptic message from the cabin crew in reply. He said, 'Hopefully ...' .' 'The captain made an announcement that they were going to have to divert us to Madrid instead.' Ms Naqvi, 53, said that she and her fellow passengers had arrived to a 'completely packed' airport in the Spanish capital where there were 'no representatives' on hand to help. Eventually – about three hours after landing – she was told that she would need to find a hotel in Madrid. The executive said: 'I am hoping to return to London [on Saturday], but I have a feeling it won't be until Sunday.' While she said she was keen to make the most of the opportunity to explore Madrid, Ms Naqvi added: 'It's exhausting and tiring in a foreign country where you might not speak the language.' Eight primary school pupils were also stranded in Dubai 'in chaos' on Friday. The students, aged 10 and 11, had been visiting the city in the United Arab Emirates with three teachers as part of the Turing Scheme to learn more about Islam and the city's culture. The group had been due to fly back to Heathrow on Friday morning and then take a connecting flight to Newcastle. Jane Davies, headteacher of Lanchester EP Primary School, said they were initially provided with 'no information at all': 'We were just waiting around, and then the later flight started to arrive and it was chaos,' she said. However, after waiting at the airport British Airways eventually sent them to a hotel and their flight was later cancelled. They later booked an Emirates flight to Glasgow in order to get home. At Heathrow, other passengers struggled to leave London. Bridegroom Daniel Bone, 37, was due to fly to Toronto, Canada, on Friday ahead of his wedding next week. Mr Bone, from Hertfordshire, is set to get married on March 28. He said: 'I woke up to see the whole airport had closed and my flight had been cancelled,' he said. 'It's been traumatising.' Meanwhile, an academic faced missing the chance to promote her book at a prestigious US conference. Award-winning scientist Dr Anjana Khatwa only found out her Heathrow flight to Portland, Oregon, was cancelled after arriving at the airport, when a police car chased her taxi down to inform the driver of the fire. Dr Khatwa had hoped to promote The Whispers of The Rock at the Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meeting. Describing the delays as having a 'personal impact', she added: 'It's horrendous. The whole situation is absolutely manic.' Meanwhile, Siya Shah, 21, faces missing a much-anticipated Indian wedding in Gwalior. The research assistant and her mother and father had woken at 3am in order to reach Heathrow in time for their 8.45am flight to Delhi – a six-hour drive from their final destination. However, despite the fire starting in the early hours of Friday morning, Air India only cancelled their flight at about 6am, after the family had already spent more than £100 on a taxi to the airport. The four-day wedding of the family friend is set to begin on Sunday. Ms Shah, who lives in South London, said: 'A lot of energy and effort has gone into this wedding – and while we may get a refund, the flights we could book tomorrow are now double the price of what we originally paid. 'Heathrow might have known it was closed, but it seemed that airlines didn't get the memo, as we were still told the flight was on when we were in the taxi.'
