Engaging Communities

Community engagement is a core component of everything we do.

SFU nurtures and extends its community connections as an integral part of its academic and research mission.

Our faculty, researchers and students collaborate with government, business and community partners at home and around the world to incubate and accelerate transformative discoveries for positive social and economic impact.

SFU is B.C.’s public square for dialogue on key public issues – a leading institution to which the community looks for education, discussion and solutions. With these same partners, SFU brings together locals and newcomers to Canada through education, policy, dialogues, volunteer service and cultural events.

Partnering with Indigenous Peoples.

With all three SFU campuses located on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, the university has a rich history of community engagement with B.C.’s First Nations.

In 2007, SFU established its first Aboriginal Strategic Plan, which strives to create a supportive academic and community environment for Aboriginal peoples while also recognizing their values and traditions.

SFU is home to a Department of First Nations Studies, an Indigenous Student Centre, an Indigenous Research Institute, and the Office for Aboriginal Peoples.

SFU’s Beedie School of Business is home to Canada’s first accredited EMBA for established Indigenous leaders, entrepreneurs and others working with Indigenous communities. Beedie also established the RBC First Peoples Enterprise Accelerator Program, a 10-year collaboration to support entrepreneurism in Aboriginal communities.

An ambitious seven-year project led by SFU’s First Nations Language Centre is working to maintain and revitalize some of B.C.’s Indigenous languages.

The Bill Reid Centre’s digital image collection documents the resilience, creativity and vibrancy of Northwest Coast First Nations, and promotes public understanding and respect for Northwest Coast First Nations, past and present.

Engaging the World.

Our students and alumni understand the critical importance of interacting with the world around them. The pursuit of knowledge, understanding and engagement to address global challenges is core to our vision.

Our faculty and students conduct research and learn alongside colleagues from around the world. We have one of the highest percentages of international students of any university in Canada.

Our global partnerships for research, studying abroad, academic collaborations and development activities ensure our students and faculty are active global citizens. SFU has three decades of experience implementing international development projects. Our Study Abroad programs range from dual degree programs to exchanges, work abroad opportunities and field schools.

SFU offers international experiences at home and abroad, including:

• international co-op placements offered through Canada’s most extensive co-op program;
• the Americas MBA, the first of its kind covering Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States of America;
• a dual degree program in computing science with Zhejiang University in China;
• participation in the National Collegiate Athletics Association of the United States of America (SFU is the first international member of the NCAA);
• volunteer opportunities with SFU’s Refugee and Newcomer Program;
• research collaborations and exchanges with the India Institutes of Technology.

Our alumni networks are thriving across the globe, with more than 150,000 alumni in over 140 countries. SFU’s largest concentration of alumni outside of Canada is in Hong Kong.