Now in its 37th year, the Institute for the Humanities at SFU seeks to accomplish these basic objectives: stimulate student interest and faculty research in demonstrating the irreducibility of humanistic perspectives in understanding some of the most pressing social, economic, political and environmental problems we face and, above all, to engage the many publics beyond the academy in city, the province, the country and, indeed, the wider world. The Institute is perfectly placed, therefore, to play a key role in the idea of SFU as “student-centred, research-driven and community-engaged.”

The Institute is proud that most, if not all, of our events are free, open, and accessible to the public. This is made possible due to an initial bequest establishing an endowment by Dr. Jennifer Simons and The Simons Foundation at the Institute's inception over three decades ago. The Institute also benefits from the continuing support of the Department of Humanities and J.S. Woodsworth Chair in the Humanities.

The Institute collaborates with a wide variety of organizations within Simon Fraser University, other universities, and in the community at large. Collaborations are selected on the basis of their coherence with the mandate of the Institute as interpreted by its Steering Committee and Director (as well as availability of funds and resources). The Institute takes responsibility for the accounting and logistics only for events that we initiate.

Please contact insthum@sfu.ca for all Institute-related questions and concerns.