Lectures and Events

Engage with the community through one of SFU Continuing Studies’ public lectures, events, or forums. Most are free, and admission is open to anyone. Some events require reservations.

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 6:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Is there something therapeutic about traditional First Nations hand drumming?
What is the connection between traditional drumming and culture? Does maintenance of a musical tradition help conserve other aspects of culture, like language and art? Where is the balance between maintaining traditional forms and developing modern approaches to ancient musical styles?
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 10:30 AM
Philosophers' Café | Friedrich Nietzsche observed, “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” Was he right?
Can affliction make someone stronger or weaker, and could suffering increase emotional strength? How can we build our defenses and acquire wisdom after suffering a wound or loss?
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 5:30 PM
Inclusive City Café | When do questions like “Where are you from?” turn from curiosity to unconscious bias?
If your ethnicity (or accent) is different from the so-called Canadian “mainstream,” chances are that you have been asked, “Where are you from” or even worse, “Where are you really from?" This is a loaded question because it tends to assume that our identity is defined by our ancestry and ethnicity, features that are often linked to cultural stereotypes. What is identity? Is identity a matter of being (our ethnic “roots") or becoming (our “routes”) or both?
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | How people listen: is this a dying art?
Explore the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the process of human listening. What conditions need to be in place for authentic listening to happen?
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 7:00 PM
Russian Café | Perspectives of our civilization: hypotheses of scientists’ and artists’ imaginations.
«Перспективы нашей цивилизации: гипотезы учёных –космистов и представления художников» - Др. Ирина Белецкая.
Sat, 23 Sep 2017 10:00 AM
TWS Community Workshops: Getting to Open
Mon, 25 Sep 2017 3:00 PM
FLASHPOINT: The Failure of Venezuela's Bolivarian Republic
Mon, 25 Sep 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Do consumers have a moral obligation to know where their products come from?
How often do you think about the conditions under which the products or services you buy are made? If we as consumers know that there is a good chance the products we buy are made under unsafe conditions what can, and should, we do about this?
Wed, 27 Sep 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Has ayahuasca tourism popularized this indiginous medicine?
Is ayahuasca a plant ally or a dangerous drug? Should legal exemptions be created in Canada for the religious use of psychedelic plants such as peyote and ayahuasca?
Thu, 28 Sep 2017 2:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What is language?
What are the languages you understand, use and enjoy? What features, forms or functions define them?

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 11:30 AM
Punjabi Café | Aging gracefully
Tue, 03 Oct 2017 6:00 PM
#SFUdatacafe
Wed, 04 Oct 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What is shamanism?
Is shamanism a distinct religion and what is the history of the term? How does shamanism compare to neo-shamanism? What are altered states and how are they present in religion and art?
Thu, 05 Oct 2017 10:30 AM
Philosophers' Café | In a parliamentary system, in what sense is the “Loyal Opposition” loyal?
How is this consistent with the opposition moving a vote of non-confidence and defeating the government?
Thu, 05 Oct 2017 6:30 PM
Teen Café | Racism at school: is it individual or is it systemic? How do we confront it?
Thu, 05 Oct 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Exploring existential anxiety
How do we find meaning and a sense of calm in our lives knowing that death is inevitable?
Wed, 11 Oct 2017 6:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | Can people say, "My God is Mother Earth?”
Wed, 11 Oct 2017 6:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | Euthanasia: how do we protect without compelling?
There is pressure to expand the ambit of new euthanasia legislation. Is it possible to do so without conveying a powerful message to elders that once they need help with their living they should elect euthanasia?
Wed, 11 Oct 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Don’t blame me—my brain did it!
Behavioural economist, Dan Ariely's research shows that our intuition fools us repeatedly in irrational and consistent ways. Despite scientific or fact-based knowledge, we often make decisions irrationally or intuitively. If we know that the brain can fool us into making poor decisions, do we still feel in control? What does this say about free will?
Thu, 12 Oct 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What is the role of myth in the modern life?
Ancestral cultures used myth to describe and define their realities. Did we lose something when we dispensed with a defining mythology?
Fri, 13 Oct 2017 12:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What is systemic racism and how does it operate?
Sat, 14 Oct 2017 3:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Stop being mean to the rich: why should they pay taxes?
Mon, 16 Oct 2017 1:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Indigenous culture: appropriation versus appreciation
What is cultural appropriation? How might we, as individuals, play a role in Indigenous cultural appropriation? What are the positive ways forward to build cultural appreciation? With guest moderator Shain Jackson.
Mon, 16 Oct 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What does food security mean to you?
How do communities ensure their ongoing food supply and what are possible disruptions? How do climactic or political change and instability impact our access to food? Is food shortage really an issue, or is it more of a problem with food waste?
Tue, 17 Oct 2017 6:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What does it mean to be, or become, yourself?
How do you do it?
Tue, 17 Oct 2017 6:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | How is the making of paintings affected by the absolute pervasiveness and availability of digital images of paintings?
Wed, 18 Oct 2017 6:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What does a struggling artist need to nourish in order to flourish?
How can an artist reach self-actualization? How can recognition, success and comfort affect an artist? What impediments does a struggling artist face?
Wed, 18 Oct 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | How has practicing yoga changed your life?
What is the history of Buddhism and yoga in North America? What is the role of psychedelics in Buddhism and yoga? What is Tantra?
Thu, 19 Oct 2017 10:30 AM
Philosophers' Café | Viewing Canada's First Nations through the language used to describe them.
Why do we use the different terms First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Aboriginal, Indigenous, status, treaty? What is the politically correct terminology for "Indigenous" People in Canada? How did the words used in the past serve to limit our First Peoples and how can the language of equality be used to heal our past relationships?
Thu, 19 Oct 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What would you like to hear in your eulogy?
What are the qualities of living in the world that we would like people to remember about us and celebrate?
Thu, 19 Oct 2017 7:00 PM
Russian Café | Charles Chaplin: the great stranger
«Чарли Чаплин – великий незнакомец». Документальный фильм кинорежиссера Владимира Иванова.
Fri, 20 Oct 2017 12:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | Should the government fund music and the arts?
Guest musicians: C. Ridley, D. Marcinek, A. Khvatova and T. Khvatova
Wed, 25 Oct 2017 9:30 AM
Writing an Essay for the Liberal Arts Certificate (55+)
Thu, 26 Oct 2017 2:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What is something that needs to be said? Why?
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What purpose does marriage serve today?
Marriage has been a crucial tradition for political, religious, economic and social reasons for many centuries. Today, many people choose to get married as an expression of love. Has marriage become a measure of love, or are we blindly following an outdated tradition? How does society view adults who are married versus those who are not?

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What is permaculture and what is its role in urban farming?
How can the principles of permaculture be applied to urban farms and the creation of green spaces in Metro Vancouver? What are the pros and cons of monoculture farming and GMOs?
Thu, 02 Nov 2017 10:30 AM
Philosophers' Café | How do celebrities influence public opinion and policy decisions?
Can you name some celebrities who have attached their names to a cause, product or organization? Is there a condition when endorsements by celebrities are inappropriate? Where do they get their authority from?
Thu, 02 Nov 2017 6:30 PM
Teen Café | The media: how does it affect the way we speak, act, treat ourselves and each other?
Thu, 02 Nov 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Self-esteem: where does it come from?
How do we know we have a strong sense of identity and self-worth?
Sat, 04 Nov 2017 9:45 AM
End of Life Expo 2017
Sat, 04 Nov 2017 10:00 AM
TWS Community Workshops: Exposition - A Better Way to Tell
Sat, 04 Nov 2017 3:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Why do we teach children mathematics? Would it be better to teach them more about art?
Tue, 07 Nov 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What makes a place a home?
Wed, 08 Nov 2017 6:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | Do we need a Canadian grandparents film festival?
Wed, 08 Nov 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | How would you describe your fundamental role as a parent?
Do you share this role with anyone else in your community?
Thu, 09 Nov 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Where is the line between free speech and hate speech?
Who defines what is hateful speech and what rights do victims of hate have? What responsibility do institutions have to those who have been affected by hate and discrimination to create a safe space, even if it curbs the right to free speech for others?
Tue, 14 Nov 2017 6:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | There are no external authorities on life’s deepest issues— only yourself.
This authority lies within each of us waiting to be heard. What do you think?
Tue, 14 Nov 2017 6:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | Do paintings themselves reflect, reorient, or resist the economies at play in the painter’s practice in Vancouver?
Wed, 15 Nov 2017 6:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | Do animals have the right to life?
The animal rights movement has changed both our attitudes towards and treatment of animals. But do animals have the right to life? (i.e. is it wrong to kill and eat animals?) In what ways are animals like humans and in what ways are they different? Are they similar enough to have the same right to life as humans?
Thu, 16 Nov 2017 10:30 AM
Philosophers' Café | Statue of limitations? If a celebrated hero seriously loses public favour, should their honour(s) be withdrawn?
Thu, 16 Nov 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What needs to happen to achieve world peace?
Are there crucial conditions that would contribute to the realization of peace in our time?
Thu, 16 Nov 2017 7:00 PM
Russian Café | Christianity and atheism: discussion in letters from the exile of a physicist and a priest
«Христианство и атеизм: дискуссия священника и физика (письма из лагеря)». Др. Михаил Белецкий.
Fri, 17 Nov 2017 12:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Morally good. Ethically right. What is the difference?
Fri, 17 Nov 2017 12:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | Mental illness and creativity
Why did so many of the great composers and artists struggle with mental illness? Guest musicians: C. Ridley, D. Marcinek, A. Khvatova and T. Khvatova
Mon, 20 Nov 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Water: is it a human right?
Does government owe safe drinking water to its residents? What can we rightfully expect from our government as population increases and densifies and infrastructure ages? What can we, as residents, do to conserve water?
Sat, 25 Nov 2017 1:30 PM
The Making of a Dictator: Putin’s Rise to Power
Wed, 29 Nov 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Is there a difference between religion and spirituality?
What is a religion of no religion? Have religion and spirituality become commodified in our contemporary culture of capitalism?
Thu, 30 Nov 2017 2:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Rigged: How is the universe, the “system” and your life, rigged or not?

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 6:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | Is our public education system promoting assimilation?
Wed, 06 Dec 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | The moral problems of charity
Is charity an appropriate method of delivering social services? How do we choose what is worthy of funding and what isn’t? Knowing that not all desired services can be paid for through taxes, is it feasible for charitable organizations to fill the gaps? If so, which services? If not, how do we ensure the government can afford to pay for all necessary services? How do we choose?
Wed, 06 Dec 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Has information technology made the world a better place?
Thu, 07 Dec 2017 10:30 AM
Philosophers' Café | Consider the Russian proverb, “trust, but verify”. In international relations, when should a nation trust another and how can it verify this needed evidence?
Are there nations who may be more inclined to doubt each other? Can they overcome history? Does verifying through intense negotiation loosen or strengthen relationships?
Thu, 07 Dec 2017 6:30 PM
Teen Café | High school: confronting the issues of heavy workloads, difficult relationships with school staff, and coping with stress and bullying.
Fri, 08 Dec 2017 12:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | The symphony orchestra in the 21st century: relevant, or a dead, lumbering dinosaur?
Guest musicians: C. Ridley, D. Marcinek, A. Khvatova and T. Khvatova
Sat, 09 Dec 2017 3:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | If we all became vegetariam tomorrow, should we care what happens to meat industry workers?
Mon, 11 Dec 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | Jobs in the pipeline: who are the winners and losers in the battles over pipelines?
What is the connection between jobs and oil pipelines? Are there job losses to match the job gains? What are the broader social priorities when jobs and land are at stake?
Tue, 12 Dec 2017 6:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What does it mean to “hold space” for others?
Wed, 13 Dec 2017 6:30 PM
Philosophers' Café | Giving away your powers: what you lose and when the loss takes effect.
People are routinely asked to sign Power of Attorney when they have their will drawn. Is that wise? What powers are they giving away and when do those powers take effect? In regards to other instruments of divestment of personal power, are you wise to sign?
Thu, 14 Dec 2017 7:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What stories do we tell each other? Are they important? Does it matter if they are true or fabrication?
Fri, 15 Dec 2017 12:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | What can reason do for you?
Thu, 21 Dec 2017 10:30 AM
Philosophers' Café | What evidence supports the contention that humans are basically good?
Who defines and determines what is good in people? Is it possible for someone to be “good” and also consistently serve their own self-interest?
Thu, 21 Dec 2017 7:00 PM
Russian Café | Modern notions about human genesis
«Современные представления о происхождении человека». Др. Нелля Шварёва.
Thu, 28 Dec 2017 2:00 PM
Philosophers' Café | SFU Philosophers' Cafe': where next? How? Why?

Sat, 13 Jan 2018 10:00 AM
TWS Community Workshops: Research for Fiction and Non-Fiction

Sat, 24 Feb 2018 10:00 AM
TWS Community Workshops: Chapbooks

Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Continuing Studies

Lectures and Events

September 2017

October 2017

November 2017

December 2017

January 2018

February 2018