Simon Fraser University

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Simon Fraser University (SFU), founded in 1965, is a public research university located in British Columbia, Canada, with campuses in Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver. The main campus sits atop Burnaby Mountain and serves over 30,000 students, with a global alumni network exceeding 160,000. Established to expand higher education in the region, SFU was named after explorer Simon Fraser. The institution operates on a year-round, three-semester system and became the second Canadian university to earn accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in 2015. SFU is a member of several academic associations, such as the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Universities Canada, and collaborates on major research initiatives including TRIUMF, home to the world's largest cyclotron, and the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Designed by architects Arthur Erickson and Geoffrey Massey, the campus began construction in 1964 and opened a year later with 2,500 students. In its early years, SFU was known for its political activism, especially within its social science departments, leading to departmental restructuring. The university also made strides in gender inclusion with Thelma Finlayson becoming its first female faculty member and later its first professor emerita. SFU remains a dynamic institution committed to interdisciplinary research and academic innovation.