Knowledge Mobilization Lead — Reimagining the Public University Symposium

In a context of overlapping global and institutional crises — including climate emergency, democratic instability, rapid technological change, and widening social inequities — Canadian universities face both a profound challenge and a generational opportunity. 

Reimagining the Public University in a Time of Polycrisis: A National Dialogue convenes scholars, students, community leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to examine how universities can respond to this moment and renew their role as public institutions serving the common good.

Following the symposium, CERi will produce knowledge mobilization outputs to ensure that the ideas, insights, and recommendations generated inform public dialogue, policy conversations, and future collaborations across sectors. 

About CERi

The Community Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) at Simon Fraser University supports partnerships between community organizations, researchers, and the public to co-create knowledge that is ethical, reciprocal, and grounded in community priorities. CERi advances knowledge mobilization practices that make research accessible, relevant, and impactful beyond the university.

CERi is seeking a Knowledge Mobilization Lead to synthesize and translate symposium proceedings into accessible public-facing outputs. The successful candidate will work from detailed notes provided by hired notetakers and audio/visual recordings from the event to develop a position paper and scripted content for a short podcast series. 

This role is ideal for a PhD student with strong analytical, writing, and storytelling skills who is interested in public scholarship, research communication, and knowledge mobilization. 

Knowledge Synthesis and Writing 

• Review and synthesize symposium notes, transcripts, and recordings to identify key themes, insights, and recommendations. 
• Develop a comprehensive position paper articulating the symposium’s major findings and implications for the future of public universities. 
• Translate complex academic discussions into accessible, engaging language for broader audiences. 

Public-Facing Content Development 

• Create scripts for a 2–3-episode podcast series based on symposium discussions. 
• Ensure content reflects the diversity of perspectives represented, including community voices. 
• Collaborate with CERi staff on tone, accessibility, and dissemination strategy. 

Knowledge Mobilization Support 

• Advise effective formats and strategies for sharing symposium outcomes with academic, community, and policy audiences. 
• Support alignment of outputs with CERi’s community-engaged research principles. 

Required Qualifications

• Current PhD student in a relevant field (e.g., education, communication, public policy, social sciences, humanities) 
• Demonstrated experience in academic or public-facing writing 
• Strong ability to synthesize complex discussions into clear, compelling narratives 
• Experience with knowledge mobilization, research communication, or public scholarship 
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines within a structured timeline 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience producing podcasts, multimedia storytelling, or policy-oriented writing

• Familiarity with higher education policy, public scholarship, or community-engaged research

• Experience working across academic and community contexts

Applicants must submit:

• Form survey in lieu of a cover letter 

• Curriculum vitae (CV)

• Writing sample and/or knowledge mobilization sample (e.g., video, podcast, presentation, or other public-facing work)

Please submit the above items via email to kiara_okonkwo@sfu.ca

Application Deadline: The closing date for applications is March 8th, 2026

Application form link