Named for a renowned explorer and North West Company fur trader, Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university located in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. This institution, founded in 1965, unites innovation in education with the highest quality research.
SFU’s main campus rests on Burnaby Mountain, 20 kilometers (or 12 miles) east of Vancouver. This hub services over 30,000 students and boasts just about 950 faculty members, fostering a common mentality of adaptability to change. This multifaceted approach integrates environmental, economic, social and cultural outreach programs with internationalization into the university’s grand Strategic Vision.
SFU was founded in 1963, following a formal vote held by the British Columbia Legislature on March 1. In May of that same year, Dr. Gordon M. Shrum became its first Chancellor. Today, vibrant campuses bring to life Burnaby, Surrey and Vancouver. Shrum was the one to advocate the summit of Burnaby Mountain as the ideal spot for SFU’s first campus, where it now sits at approximately 365 meters (or about 1,198 feet) above sea level.
Rated the top comprehensive university in Canada by Maclean’s news magazine more than ten times in a little over two decades, SFU is ranked 24th among the world’s youngest institutions of higher learning by the 2014 Times Higher Education 100 Under 50.
In the late 18th Century, Simon Fraser was a key figure in charting much of British Columbia. Therefore, it is quite fitting that SFU, his namesake, continues to explore, chart and conquer new realms of academia.
Maclean’s Ranking – #1 (2018)
Postgraduate Students – 21%
International Students – 17%
Website Link – www.sfu.ca
Undergraduate – 62%
City – Burnaby, BC
At SFU, 16.9% of the total undergraduate population is comprised of international students, 56.8% of whom come from China. 2014 saw a 39.3% increase over 2013 in undergraduate students from Nigeria. 1,233 graduate international students registered in Fall 2014, an increase of 8.2% over Fall 2013. 28.3% of the total graduate population at SFU is made up of international students.
SFU has three campuses in all. (SFU Burnaby, SFU Surrey, SFU Vancouver). The first is the main campus which crowns Burnaby Mountain within the City of Burnaby, British Columbia. This is SFU’s original campus, consisting of over eight faculties and three dozen buildings.
The Downtown Vancouver campus encompasses multiple facilities which lie at the heart of the city. In 2009, the Vancouver Sun called SFU’s Downtown Vancouver campus “the intellectual heart of the city.” SFU’s Surrey campus, on the other hand, finds itself within the centre of one of Canada’s most lively cities. Though the latter is fast-growing, this campus does offer fewer academic programs. However, SFU students are welcomed to enroll in class at any of the three campuses.
