SFU School of Interactive Arts + Technology

⁠Do you dream of making films, developing games and becoming a master of design?⁠
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If you answered yes, we invite you to learn more about SFU’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology at one of our online info sessions!

Our next session is Nov 6, 5:30pm PST!

RSVP now: https://ow.ly/I6Ol50XiLLq

SFU tops national rankings again as Canada’s leading comprehensive university

SFU is Canada’s top comprehensive university! 🍁

Continuing a tradition of excellence, Maclean's has ranked SFU in the top spot for 17 of the last 18 years, describing it as a "contemporary, inventive, and forward thinking" institution.

Learn more at the link below.

This Friday Oct 24, SIAT’s virtual ambassador Faye Ayato will be joining SIAT alumni Jun Kakeru, part of the team behind Yet Another Killing Game, for a special stream!

Tune in to https://ow.ly/vKOp50XfWUI @ 6:00pm PST to take learnnwhat it takes to make an indie game!

Remote Valentine: Glove Tech Puts 'Touch' into Long-Distance Relationships Researchers from Simon Fraser University's School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) have designed a pair of interconnected gloves called 'Flex-N-Feel.' When a user's fingers flex in one glove, the actions are transmitted to a remote partner wearing the other. The glove's tactile sensors allow the wearer to 'feel' the movements.

FCAT Dean Carman Neustaedter and SIAT researchers show off glove tech that puts 'touch' into long-distance relationships!

Check out this story from tech brief featuring a pair of interconnected gloves called 'Flex-N-Feel' designed by researchers from our school.

https://ow.ly/7IRP50XfabV

SFU’s new School of Medicine, the first in Western Canada in nearly 60 years, is now officially accepting applications for its first cohort of future physicians! The inaugural class will begin the program in August 2026.

Read more: www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stor...

Congratulations to SIAT Assistant Professor Ö. Nilay Yalçin, and each of SFU's JELF awarded researchers!

Higher education is evolving.

We've ben working with DigiBC to develop skill-focused, modular micro-credentials. Now you can get 50% OFF our latest collaboration – a micro-credential in Human Centred AI and Creative Technology.

Learn more 👉 https://ow.ly/nlbk50X8SEA

A digital arboreal environment split by day and night down the middle of the image and mirrored. Two wispy figures, one pink and one orange face each other from either side of the split.

This year’s @digibc.bsky.social Signals festival (Oct 3–12) will host the premiere of Echoes of Me, an immersive extended reality (XR) installation from @sfu.ca’s iSpaceLab directed by Noah Miller, a PhD researcher of transformative XR experiences.

Learn more: signals.digibc.org/digibc_proje...

Nominations for the 2025 CERi Awards are open!

These awards recognize SFU members and community partners advancing CER and driving positive change through work that strengthens communities. Celebrate meaningful collaboration, innovation, and impact across SFU and beyond.

Detail: bit.ly/ceriaward

Excellence in Teaching

Do you know an instructor who creates exceptional learning experiences for students? Nominate them for an Award for Excellence in Teaching until October 15.

www.sfu.ca/vpacademic/a...

First Peoples' Gathering House: A place to breathe New First Peoples’ Gathering House honours the past to shape the future at Simon Fraser University. A place to gather, learn, breathe, and heal – the newly-opened First Peoples’ Gathering Hou...

A place to gather, learn, breathe, and heal — the newly-opened First Peoples’ Gathering House stands proudly along the ceremonial walkway at SFU's Burnaby campus.

Two animated characters, one a male figure with brown hair tied in a bun wearing a brown plaid tenchcoat and a red scarf, the other a female figure with red hair and racoon ears, wearing black shorts, a tan sweater, and round glasses. They are posed in front of a large glass building with the Simon Fraser University logo on it at nighttime. Text on a red background reads SIAT'S OFFICIAL VIRTUAL YOUTUBER DEBUT!

SIAT's virtual ambassador program gained a bit of international recognition over the weekend as SIAT VTubers Mo and Faye appeared in this article from Web Japan : web-japan.org/trends/11_cu...

Rethinking Cultural Appropriation in the Era of Ubiquitous Generative AI In the productive space between homage and theft, emerges one of the most provocative questions of creating with AI: how does the arrival…

#ai #creativity medium.com/ai-music/ret...

📢 Auditions for SFU’s Virtual Ambassador Program Class 2 extended until September 14th!

Are you a 19+ SIAT student experienced with content creation? Become one of SFU’s official VTubers with a fully produced debut, receive monthly honoraria, and more!

➡️ studiosiat.com

B.C. university professor to teach course alongside AI sidekick A new course starting at Simon Fraser University this fall could offer a glimpse at the future of learning.

Professor Steve DiPaola debuts AI sidekick in trailblazing new course!

Check out this CTV story featuring DiPaola and his new course IAT 111. In the course, DiPaola will be teaching alongside a fully-expressive 3D artificial intelligence sidekick.

www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

Researchers to represent SIAT at SIGGRAPH 2025 SIGGRAPH is the premier conference and exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques and will feature workshops, lectures, and presentations by SIAT researchers.

From August 10-14, SIAT researchers will be at SIGGRAPH 2025 presenting and leading a variety of workshops, performances, and lectures. SIGGRAPH is the premier conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques and will be taking place in Vancouver this year.

www.sfu.ca/siat/news-ev...

SIAT is home to labs that foster creative interaction and support collaborative research. Pictured here are researchers in our Virtual and Augmented Reality, Visual Analytics, Interaction, Systems, and Experiments lab led by Professor Wolfgang Stuerzlinger.

Explore more:
www.sfu.ca/siat/researc...

Yes, many of our researchers will be at SIGGRAPH! We will have a list on our website next week of all of the SIAT researchers who will be presenting papers and workshops.

This weekend our StudioSIAT team will have a booth at Anime Revolution 2025 in Vancouver! The booth will feature projects from SIAT students, live interactive appearances from our virtual ambassadors, as well as exclusive new vAmbassador merchandise. Come by to say hi!

www.sfu.ca/siat/news-ev...

Soaking up the sunshine at SFU Surrey 🌞😎

Exciting announcements from StudioSIAT! 🚨

💫 Auditions for our next generation of vAmbassadors have opened!

🚀 Students in IAT 443 will have the opportunity to collaborate with StudioSIAT & local motion capture studios to work on special vAmbassador program projects.

siats.ca/vambassadors...

What really makes students stand out in the workplace: soft skills that matter Your education gives you the creative, technical, and problem-solving tools to succeed—but soft skills are what transform those tools into making a positive impact.

What really makes students stand out in the workplace? 🚀
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Read our co-op blog to hear from our Co-op Coordinator Afshan Basaria to learn about the soft skills that transform your creative and technical skills into tools that will make a positive impact in the workplace: www.sfu.ca/siat/news-ev...

AI is rapidly reshaping ever sector and creative tech is no exception! If you’re an alumni or industry professional looking to up-skill and gain knowledge of emerging trends, our flexible micro-credential courses may be for you.

Learn more: www.sfu.ca/siat/program...

New course in AI coming Fall 2025! 🚨
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Open to all SFU students, this groundbreaking elective helps to demystify AI and equip students with the knowledge to thrive in an AI-driven future.
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No prerequisites are required to take this course.

www.sfu.ca/outlines.htm...
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StudioSIAT is excited to once again open auditions for a new generation of student vAmbassadors! 🐾 Join Mo and Faye as mocap-driven virtual content creators and receive financial and creative support from SFU. SIAT students, apply here: www.sfu.ca/siat/studios...

Calling all new SIAT students! 🚨
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Join SIAT Advisor Kai Hutchful at Course Planning 101 to learn everything you need to know about first-year SIAT courses and enrolment.
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🗓️ July 3rd
⏰ 1:00-3:30PM
📍 SFU Surrey campus, room TBD

See details and register to attend: www.eventbrite.ca/e/course-pla...

Beyond the Algorithm: Speculative Approaches to Critical AI Literacies with Diverse Youth | Proceedings of the 24th Interaction Design and Children

💡 New paper from TECI Lab @siatsfu.bsky.social at #IDC2025 this week!

Beyond the Algorithm: Speculative Approaches to Critical AI Literacies with Diverse Youth doi.org/10.1145/3713...

Sadhbh Kenny, Alissa Antle, Gillian Russell, Annemiek Veldhuis

#AI #YouthEmpowerment #CriticalLiteracy

Congrats to the newest @fcatatsfu.bsky.social alumni!

Congratulations, Interactive Arts & Technology grads!! 🎓

Join us right after the ceremony today for the FCAT Convocation Reception at Halpern Centre. We are so proud to welcome you to our alumni community and we can't wait to celebrate your accomplishments with you! 🎉