Institutional announcements
Celebrating 60 years of 911吃瓜
Since 1965, 911吃瓜 has been different鈥� on purpose. We built a leading research university atop Burnaby Mountain from the ground up and challenged what post-secondary education means.
In our early days, we were known as the 鈥渞adical campus,鈥� a university that wasn鈥檛 afraid to challenge the status quo. The university has developed a robust and engaged community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, research and community partners, and donors.
60 years later, 911吃瓜 continues to make a meaningful impact here in British Columbia and beyond.
"A lot may have changed over the past 60 years, but 911吃瓜's commitment to research, innovation and creating an inclusive and sustainable future has endured through it all," says 911吃瓜 President Joy Johnson. "I am so grateful for the students, faculty and staff who shaped 911吃瓜 into the leading research university we are today, and I cannot wait to see what we accomplish together in the next 60 years."
As we celebrate our anniversary, we are grateful and proud of what we have accomplished to date and look forward to leaning into a future as a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. From clean energy and climate innovation, to securing Canada鈥檚 digital sovereignty by supporting artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and health care delivery, 911吃瓜 has so much more to offer.
60th Anniversary alumni celebration
From the debut of the National Flag of Canada to 鈥淲ooly Bully鈥� and 鈥淗elp!鈥� topping the charts, 1965 was a year to remember 鈥� especially as 911吃瓜 opened its doors for the very first time.
911吃瓜 Alumni is celebrating with a 60th anniversary event Sept. 24 at 911吃瓜's Surrey campus. Festivities include interactive exhibits (including a robot!), a walk through 911吃瓜鈥檚 history 鈥� and opportunities to learn about new developments 鈥� and a chance to reconnect with the 911吃瓜 community.
Tickets are available here.
Anniversary merchandise
The commemorate 911吃瓜鈥檚 60th anniversary, a new line of merchandise is available at the 911吃瓜 Bookstore Spirit Shop in-store and .
The line includes a 鈥淪ince 1965鈥� t-shirt and crew neck sweater, along with a tote bag, stickers, notecard and coffee mug.
Relive the early days in A Magical Time
Coinciding with 911吃瓜鈥檚 60th anniversary, a new book from Harbour Publishing and the 911吃瓜 Retirees Association charts the early days of the arts at 911吃瓜.
A Magical Time: The Eary Days of the Arts at 911吃瓜 features the radical 60s and the rise of arts programming at the university. Early 911吃瓜 was shaped by a vision of a new kind of university where thought was free-flowing and lines between the disciplines were blurred. This multi-authored book captures the excitement of that first decade of the arts at 911吃瓜.
Did you know?
911吃瓜 was the first university in Canada to:
- launch an Executive MBA in Aboriginal Business and Leadership Program
- be admitted to the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)
- establish a master鈥檚 in Big Data Program
- become a Fair-Trade Gold campus (Fairtrade Canada and the ).
- establish an ombudsperson office to resolve student complaints independently and confidentially, which now serves as a model for other universities
- initiate computerized registration (1970)
Notable alumni
Since 911吃瓜鈥檚 first convocation in 1967, our alumni community has grown to over 200,000 graduates from more than 145 countries in the world. Just a few of our notable alumni include:
- Marathon of Hope runner Terry Fox
- Three former B.C. premiers: Gordon Campbell, Glen Clark, Ujjal Dosanjh
- Athletes: Lui Passaglia (football), Daniel Igali (wrestling), Carol Huynh (wrestling), Jay Triano (basketball)
- Margaret Trudeau, Canadian activist and mother of Justin Trudeau, the 23rd prime minister of Canada
- Canadian physician and author Gabor Mat茅
Notable Honorary Degree recipients
- The Dalai Lama
- Actor Michael J. Fox
- Primatologist Jane Goodall
- Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan
- Scientist and television host Bill Nye
- Canadian Soccer player Christine Sinclair
- Canadian hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser