Simon Fraser University and Thompson Rivers University enhance inter-province collaboration
Simon Fraser University (SFU) and Thompson Rivers University (TRU) are forging a new partnership to advance innovation, research, graduate studies and workforce development across British Columbia.
This new partnership — bolstered by a memorandum of understanding signed last month — will lead to collaborations in strategic priority areas for B.C., including artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, health, wildfire management and emergency response, and Indigenous language revitalization.
“There has never been a more important time for B.C. public post-secondary institutions to collaborate on areas of shared impact,” says SFU President Joy Johnson. “TRU is an excellent institution that shares SFU’s vision of building an inclusive and sustainable future, and I am proud to continue and extend our longstanding partnership in service of communities across the province.”
The partnership complements existing agreements between the two universities, including joint training developed and delivered through the SFU-hosted B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, ongoing work related to AI and research computing, as well as joint projects related to climate innovation.
“TRU and SFU share a conviction that the future of higher education will not be shaped by generic models, but by universities rooted in place and willing to lead differently,” says TRU President Airini. “From the Interior to the Lower Mainland, this collaboration amplifies the power of collaboration between TRU, B.C.’s first dual‑sector research university and an anchor institution of the Interior, with Simon Fraser University that is brilliantly, inclusively, adventurous. We each stand out and together, we will deliver real outcomes for the province.”
As leading research universities and members of the Research Universities Council of British Columbia, SFU and TRU bring a wealth of expertise in the strategic areas at the heart of this partnership.
The Cedar Supercomputing Centre, home to Canada’s most powerful public supercomputer, supports Canadian companies and public institutions to harness world-class AI infrastructure. SFU also ranks in the top five AI research universities in Canada, with more than 100 faculty members across the university actively using AI to unlock breakthroughs in medicine, robotics, agriculture and the arts.
As a national leader in responsible artificial intelligence, TRU is advancing AI through an institution-wide strategy, industry partnerships and real-world research helping shape the future of ethical AI adoption in Canada. This includes the development of a new on-campus data centre through the TRU Community Trust as part of Bell Canada’s Bell AI Fabric, a national AI infrastructure network supporting advanced research, innovation and AI adoption.
In agritech, SFU is home to the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation (BCCAI), the Global Institute for Agritech and offers an agritech concentration in its School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering.
TRU is leading in agritech and regenerative agriculture research by advancing sustainable food systems through applied, interdisciplinary research and strong partnerships with industry and communities. Recent work includes using genomics, data science and machine learning to better understand soil biodiversity and support land management decisions across British Columbia. One existing BCCAI collaboration is with TRU’s John Church, BCIC Regional Innovation Chair in Cattle Industry Sustainability, to advance precision ranching and provide ranchers with training on the use of drones, AI and other smart technologies.
SFU also has faculty and researchers actively making a difference in B.C. in the areas of cybersecurity, health, wildfire management and Indigenous language revitalization.
“SFU researchers are tackling many of the global challenges facing Canadians,” says Dugan O’Neil, vice-president, research and innovation at SFU. “By partnering with other academic institutions like TRU, we can learn from each other and tap into our collective strengths to further increase our impact across the province and beyond.”
“TRU researchers are deeply engaged in addressing the complex challenges facing communities across British Columbia,” says Shannon Wagner, vice-president, research, TRU. “Through this partnership with SFU, we are bringing together complementary strengths, expanding opportunities for collaboration, and advancing innovative, community-connected research that will increase our collective impact across the province.”
Thompson Rivers University is leading in sustainability. Learn more about TRU’s contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.