Stephen Hawking to be invited to lecture in Thailand
THE OFFICE of the Basic Education Commission has invited world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who has researched and written on the universe and time, to speak to an Asean special education fair in late July next year.
Hawking, 73, is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist who suffers from a motor-neuron disease. He communicates with a speech synthesiser.
Obec secretary-general Kamol Rodklai said the invitation was under way. He had assigned the Bureau of Special Education to organise a fair on a grand scale as Thailand is a leader in special education in Asean and education specialists from many countries would come to inspect special education here.
Thai News Agency reported that Payom Chinnawong, director of the Bureau of Special Education, said that if Hawking accepts the invitation, he would change attitudes towards education for people with disabilities and underprivileged children, as he could move only his eyes but has become a world-renowned scientist.
However, Payom wondered if Hawking’s medical condition would limit his ability to travel to Thailand.
Obec is also inviting Howard Gardner, a psychologist at Harvard University, to the same fair.