Stephen Hawking may leave Britain, to settle in Canada

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Neil Turok, a long-time friend and colleague of Stephen Hawking, has said that the scientist is mulling over an invitation to join Perimetre Institute in Ontario, Canada. Hawking, author of the best seller A Brief History of Time had last month criticised the British government for carrying out 'disastrous' science funding cuts worth $160 million.

Neil Turok, a professor in mathematical physics in Cambridge is leaving for Canada this year after failing to persuade university authorities to expand university's Centre for Theoretical Cosmology into a Hawking Institute. He said

Stephen has been very loyal to Cambridge - he could have gone anywhere he wanted. He plans to visit me in Ontario next year for a month or so, and we would certainly welcome him coming for longer.

Hawking, who has been with Cambridge since 1962, had written a letter to the ministers asking to withdraw a cut of $160 million in funding. The Perimetre Institute in Ontario, founded seven years ago by Mike Lazaridis, the creator of the BlackBerry is enjoying funding of more than $600 million.

Sam Blackburn, Hawking's graduate assistant said

Professor Hawking is mulling it over, but a move isn't imminent. He would not make plans to move permanently to a place he hasn't visited yet, but he is open to it.