Aiming High: Hawking meets Mandela

by jordan | May 16, 2008 at 02:08 pm

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Science superhero Stephen Hawking met up with Nelson Mandela (no introduction required) to discuss a new education initiaive called The Next Einstein.

Though it sounds like a reality show, The Next Eistein will promote the study of math and science.

Said Hawking upon meeting Mandela at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton: "I am very pleased to meet you.

"I admire how you managed to find a peaceful solution to a situation that seemed doomed to disaster. It was one of the great achievements of the 20th century.

"If only the Israelis and the Palestinians could do the same."

Hawking is in South Africa to launch the Next Einstein initiative to discover and nurture maths and science talent in Africa.

The initiative builds on the success of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (Aims), a Pan-African centre for postgraduate training and research, based in Muizenberg, Cape Town.

The Next Einstein plan is to create Aims centres throughout Africa.

The second Aims centre will open in Abuja, Nigeria, in July and additional centres are planned in Ghana, Uganda, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Botswana, Rwanda and Sudan.