Message from the President: SFU named Canada’s top mid-size university

I recently returned from a trip to China, where I had the opportunity to meet with a number of alumni in Shanghai and Beijing. Seeing the amazing things our alumni have been up to, and especially how proud they are to represent SFU in their communities and careers, was very uplifting.

It was even more uplifting to return to the news that Maclean’s has named SFU the No. 1 university in its new mid-size category for 2027. This is a momentous achievement, and one that belongs to all of us. Maclean’s changed how it groups and measures universities this year, and SFU came out on top, ranking seventh or better on every one of the 15 measures. Our students rank first among mid-size universities for national awards, our faculty rank first for NSERC and CIHR grants and we rank first for spending per student and for library investment.

Although no ranking could tell the whole story of the work we do at SFU, this result highlights and celebrates the faculty who teach and lead research, and the staff who run the libraries, services, systems and supports that students rely on every day.

During a time of uncertainty and change, achievements like this remind me of our community’s incredible strength and the positive impact we continue to make on the world. While we continue to face challenges, I am grateful to work in collaboration with all of you to keep moving the university forward.

I hope you can all take a moment to be proud of your work today. Thank you again for your continued commitment to excellence and all that you do for SFU.

Joy Johnson
Pronouns: she, her, hers
President & Vice-Chancellor
Simon Fraser University