Canada's Perimeter Institute Aims High, Recession or No. (December 13, 2008)

 Stephen Hawking reaches 67 next year and must then retire as Cambridge's Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.

With an eye to the main chance Canada's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics offered Professor Hawking a "distinguished research chair" which he will occupy annually for six weeks starting in July 2009. Neil Turok, executive director of the institute commented: "It was really easy to persuade him," pointing out that the Perimeter Institute focuses on quantum theory and the physics of space-time, i.e. Hawking's specific areas of interest.

The institute hopes eventually to attract 40 outstanding individuals to take up "distinguished research chairs, and according to  Science: "officials also hope to double Perimeter's 10-person faculty and contingent of 65 postdocs and graduate students over the next 5 years."

Funding for the Perimeter's operation comes in part from Mike Lazaridis, whose company makes BlackBerrys, as well as support from Canada's federal and provincial governments.