A video message from Professor Stephen Hawking about the family home in which he wrote his celebrated book A Brief History of Time is now available to view on the University of Cambridge website.
A video message from Professor Stephen Hawking about the family home in which he wrote his celebrated book A Brief History of Time is now available to view on the University of Cambridge website.
This is one of the first pieces of new media on the University's new News Audio and Video Service.
It was recorded for last week's official opening of the Stephen Hawking Building by the University's Chancellor, HRH Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh.
The Stephen Hawking Building is Gonville and Caius College's new accommodation and conference centre on West Road. Named after the College's most famous Fellow, it is built on the site of the Victorian villa which was the Hawking family home for 15 years.
Hawking describes the building as “…in my opinion, the best recent building in Cambridge”.
The four-minute video shows images of Hawking in the garden with his children, as he recalls his time spent there and talks of the period when he wrote A Brief History of Time.
Professor Hawking was unable to be at the opening ceremony as he was in the USA preparing for his ‘gravity-free' flight.
Sir Christopher Hum, KCMG, the Master of Gonville & Caius College said today: "All of us at Caius are immensely proud of Stephen. We salute the spirit of enquiry and adventure which he has shown throughout his career."
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Professor Alison Richard, said: "The world knows Stephen Hawking as a tireless explorer of the Universe - we at Cambridge know him too for his enormous local contribution to this great University and its work".
The News Audio and Video Service, accessible from the News and Events Pages at www.cam.ac.uk, enables site visitors to view online or download videos on an increasing range of University-related events and topics.
They include a recent lecture to the University by Environment Minister David Milliband, videos from this year's hugely popular Cambridge Science Festival and coverage of celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of the Chancellorship of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, filmed in the Senate House.
Charlotte Sankey of the University's Office of External Affairs and Communications said: “Cambridge is keen to make the best possible use of new media - which allows us to broadcast film with its emotive power all over the world via the web. New media is an exciting and cost-effective way of bringing Cambridge to life, and of reaching new audiences, particularly younger people.”
“Hearing someone like Professor Hawking talk, and seeing his family snaps from years ago, impacts on the audience in a different way from printed media and brings a fresh energy to the way the University communicates.”
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