SFU Public Square

SFU Public Square SFU Public Square is situated at 312 Main, a centre for social and economic innovation in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

SFU Public Square holds space for SFU and its communities to learn together and work towards equitable and sustainable solutions to our world's complex challenges. We work across all of SFU’s campuses, supporting faculty, students, staff, alumni and diverse communities to convene accessible, innovative and inclusive programming that brings people together to find ways to meaningfully contribute to

the issues that affect our lives. Every year, we collaboratively program dozens of workshops, debates, public conversations, discussion panels and other gatherings. These spaces encourage different perspectives and ways of knowing to collide and influence each other. The experience is transformative, inspiring deeper conversations, igniting networks, building capacity and catalyzing curiosity and concern into advocacy and action.

From the emergence of AI to shifting global power relations, it’s easy to feel disoriented in today’s world. This year, ...
05/04/2026

From the emergence of AI to shifting global power relations, it’s easy to feel disoriented in today’s world.

This year, economic historian Adam Tooze () joined us as the visiting speaker of the Munro Lecture to discuss how overlapping global pressures, rapid technological change, and evolving political tensions are reshaping the way we understand the present.

While the moment is marked by significant uncertainty, Adam Tooze also highlighted areas of progress that offer reasons for cautious optimism.

This event was co-hosted by , SFU’s President’s Office, and , with funding provided by the John M. Munro Lecture Endowment Fund. We’d also like to thank the members of the Munro Selection Committee: Kiffer Card, Amy Lee, and Gordon McTaggart.

Read the full blog at the link in bio 🔗

Meet the Speaker: Jessie Hemphill | Black Public Joy Special Literary and Cultural Gathering Of Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw, Métis, ...
05/01/2026

Meet the Speaker: Jessie Hemphill | Black Public Joy Special Literary and Cultural Gathering

Of Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw, Métis, and settler descent, Jessie Hemphill () will share her perspectives shaped by Indigenous ways of understanding land and place at the Black Public Joy book launch, reading, and book signing.

Join us for a storytelling gathering that moves beyond a traditional book event into a celebration of culture, conversation and community.

🗓️ May 11, 2026 from 6:30pm – 9:30pm (Doors open 6:00pm)
📍 The Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre
🔗 Register now. Link in bio.

Meet the Speaker: Jay Pitter () | Black Public Joy Special Literary and Cultural Gathering An award-winning public space...
04/28/2026

Meet the Speaker: Jay Pitter () | Black Public Joy Special Literary and Cultural Gathering

An award-winning public space practitioner and thinker, Jay Pitter will offer insights on how to rethink urban spaces through her public joy framework, with a focus on fostering connection, belonging, and well-being.

We invite you to take part in her Black Public Joy Special Literary and Cultural Gathering, which will also include a reception, music, live hair braiding ritual, and book signing.

🗓️ May 11, 2026 from 6:00pm – 9:30pm
📍 The Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre
🔗 Register now. Link in bio.

The role of the public university is shifting. At the launch of Ideas in Action, SFU brought together scholars, students...
04/28/2026

The role of the public university is shifting.

At the launch of Ideas in Action, SFU brought together scholars, students, and community members to explore what comes next in a time of uncertainty and change.

From rupture to relational accountability, the conversation challenged us to rethink not just what universities do — but how they exist, and who they serve.

One idea stood out:
The future of the public university isn’t fixed.
It’s something we’re shaping together.

Read the full blog at the link in bio

The rupture of today’s polycrisis didn’t just happen overnight – it has been years in the making. At the 2026 Munro Lect...
04/28/2026

The rupture of today’s polycrisis didn’t just happen overnight – it has been years in the making.

At the 2026 Munro Lecture, Adam Tooze () moved across history and the present moment to unpack how the convergence of global crises shapes the conditions we’re living through now, and why they can’t be understood in isolation.

A sincere thank you to Adam Tooze, Joy Johnson, Mary O'Brien, and Elder Graunty Terri Mae Galligos, whose sharp insights and perspectives helped build a rich, thoughtful conversation, and to everyone who showed up with real curiosity and a desire to learn.

More conversations and upcoming events to come.

Photos by

Join us for a vibrant evening with Jay Pitter and special guests. On May 11, we are celebrating the launch of Jay’s new ...
04/22/2026

Join us for a vibrant evening with Jay Pitter and special guests.

On May 11, we are celebrating the launch of Jay’s new book, Black Public Joy. This special literary and cultural gathering will feature a live reading, followed by an audience Q&A.

The conversation will draw on her framework of public joy – which she defines as civic, cultural, and spatial infrastructure – alongside the place-based perspectives of Indigenous planner Jessie Hemphill. A special tribute will be made to honour a local elder featured in the book, highlighting lineage and legacy.

Moving beyond a traditional book event, the gathering will be held as a storytelling space rooted in culture, conversation, and connection. A reception will follow, where Jay will be signing books.

📍 The Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre
🎟️ Free event. Registration required
🔗 Link in bio

⏳ Tomorrow is SFU Giving Day. For 24 hours, our community will come together to support meaningful initiatives like Equi...
03/25/2026

⏳ Tomorrow is SFU Giving Day.

For 24 hours, our community will come together to support meaningful initiatives like Equity on the Move and Reclaiming the Spark.

Be part of the momentum and see how these programs are creating impact.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/RVGs50YyNn8

What does it mean to live in a time of overlapping global crises? Join us for the 2026 Munro Lecture with Adam Tooze, a ...
03/20/2026

What does it mean to live in a time of overlapping global crises?

Join us for the 2026 Munro Lecture with Adam Tooze, a leading economic historian and public intellectual, as he leads a timely conversation exploring today’s emerging polycrisis and what it reveals about our collective future.

🗓️ April 8, 2026 from 6:30pm – 9pm
📍 The Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts

Register here: https://ow.ly/PSh650YwAHK

We’re pleased to welcome Dr. Amy Parent and as dual keynote speakers for Reimagining the Public University, part of the...
03/17/2026

We’re pleased to welcome Dr. Amy Parent and as dual keynote speakers for Reimagining the Public University, part of the Ideas in Action series.

Dr. Parent is a Nisga’a scholar and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Governance and Education at . Her keynote, “Is it Possible to Return the Stolen Canoe? Rethinking the Public University on Unceded Coast Salish Lands and Waters,” explores how universities might rethink their role on unceded Coast Salish lands and waters.

As the founder of and a professor at , Dr. Riddell’s work focuses on the future of higher education, public leadership, and institutional transformation. In her talk, she invites us to shift from scarcity thinking to an abundance mindset, and to value higher education as essential social infrastructure — as vital to democratic life as healthcare, justice systems, or public art.

Join us for their keynote addresses and the discussion that follows at Reimagining the Public University — together we’ll explore how universities can support meaningful transformation and community engagement.

📍 SFU Harbour Centre, March 31, 2026
🎟️ Free event. Registration required
🔗 Link in bio

Save the date – March 26! 🌟 Be part of SFU’s Giving Day and learn how two community-focused initiatives, Equity on the M...
03/17/2026

Save the date – March 26! 🌟

Be part of SFU’s Giving Day and learn how two community-focused initiatives, Equity on the Move and Reclaiming the Spark, are making an impact.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/s4gN50YvxsY

How might public universities respond to today’s complex social, political, and environmental challenges? Join us, along...
03/09/2026

How might public universities respond to today’s complex social, political, and environmental challenges?

Join us, along with SFU's Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) and the Simon Fraser University's Office, for a public dialogue examining the evolving role of the public university in Canada.

The event features 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, Dr. Nat Hurley, Dr. Adel Iskandar, and Dr. Rackeb Tesfaye will join our speakers onstage for a fireside chat exploring how universities can strengthen their role as civic institutions.

📍 SFU Harbour Centre
🎟️ Free event. Registration required

Register here:
https://ow.ly/pso450YrwkM

Address

Vancouver, BC

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17787829442

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when SFU Public Square posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to SFU Public Square:

Shortcuts

Share

Category