Reimagining the Public University

Join us for an important public dialogue exploring one of the most urgent questions facing Canadian higher education today: How can we reimagine the role of the public university to meet this moment?

At a time defined by intersecting social, political, economic, ecological, and institutional crises, Canadian public universities are being called to rethink their purpose, responsibilities, and relationship to society. Together, we will explore how institutions can respond with courage and creativity—renewing their social contract, strengthening democratic and community engagement, and advancing solutions to complex global challenges. Grounded in both realism and possibility, this conversation invites us to imagine the future of the public university not from a place of scarcity, but from a place of hope, collective responsibility, and transformative potential.

The evening will feature co-keynote addresses by Dr. Jessica Riddell, founder of the Hope Circuits Institute and professor at Bishop’s University and Dr. Amy Parent, Nisga’a scholar and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Governance and Education at SFU.

Following the keynotes, our speakers will join SFU and visiting faculty for a dynamic fireside chat hosted by Dr. Tara Mahoney, Research and Engagement Manager at the SFU Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi). The conversation will feature Dr. Nat Hurley, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Memorial University of Newfoundland; Dr. Adel Iskandar, Associate Professor of Global Communication at Simon Fraser University; and Dr. Rackeb Tesfaye, Knowledge Mobilization Lead and Senior Scientist at the Bridge Research Consortium (BRC), bringing together diverse scholarly perspectives from across disciplines. This moderated dialogue will open space for interdisciplinary exchange and community engagement, inviting participants to reflect on how Canadian public universities can be reimagined to respond meaningfully and responsibly to pressing societal and global challenges.

This public event kicks off a 3-day exploration of Reimagining the Public University in a Time of Polycrisis: A National Dialogue, and is followed by a 2- day symposium funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), led by SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi). This initiative will convene scholars, community leaders, policymakers, and students to reflect on how higher education can act not only as a site of analysis, but as a civic institution embedded in the communities and futures it helps shape. The purpose of the symposium is to generate concrete insights, shared principles, and cross-sector strategies that clarify how universities can respond meaningfully to systemic crises and to translate those conversations into a position paper emerging from the dialogue that will articulate key recommendations and pathways for collective action.

This is the launch event for Ideas in Action, SFU's new flagship faculty speaker series sponsored by the President's Office. Ideas in Action brings together SFU scholars, visiting thought leaders, students and community members to engage with the most urgent questions of our time. This speaker series will spark meaningful dialogue, foster cross-sector collaboration and demonstrate how big ideas can create tangible impact to advance an inclusive and sustainable future.

As this event is free, and free events routinely have a high number of no-shows, it is our policy to overbook. In case of a full event, registration may not guarantee entry. Seating is limited and will be available to registered attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.

The event will be hosted at the SFU Harbour Centre at 515 W Hastings St.

Public and gender-neutral washrooms are available. All public washrooms are equipped with wheelchair accessible stalls.

If you require ASL intepreters for this event or have any other accessibility needs, please contact us at [email protected] at least two weeks before the event and we will try to accomodate this request.

Our community guidelines are intended to ensure the safety of all guest speakers and event participants, and to foster honest, socially accountable dialogue at our events. Thank you for respecting our community guidelines!

• Above all, there will be zero tolerance for those who promote violence or discrimination against others on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, or disability. Anyone who incites harm towards other participants (whether through chat, video, audio or otherwise) will be removed at the discretion of our technical team and moderator.
• Don’t assume pronouns/gender/knowledge based on someone’s name or appearance. Please refer to people using the usernames and/or pronouns they provide.
• Take space, make space: share your perspective, and make space for other voices to be heard too. Recognize that we are all here to learn.
• Practice self-care in whatever way you need to. If you need to get up or take a break, please do so.
  

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