St. Francis Xavier University

Nestled in small-town Nova Scotia, Mi'kma'ki, St. Francis Xavier University has a long and proud tradition as one of Canada’s oldest universities. For 170 years we have cultivated our strong and resilient spirit, dedication to intellectual rigour, and commitment to engaging students who aspire to be community-minded global citizens. Our story is intertwined with Nova Scotia’s historic communities and the many peoples who have come to call this place home. Our motto, “Quaecumque Sunt Vera” (Whatsoever Things are True) perfectly captures our values of integrity, dignity, truth, and respect for all.

StFX researchers engage in scholarly and creative research activities that contribute to academic knowledge, enhance student experience, collaborate with communities, and prioritize social responsibility. As a national leader in primarily undergraduate education, StFX provides opportunities for students to contribute to faculty research projects during their degrees.

We have individuals and teams working on some of the most urgent contemporary issues, and our campus includes several collaborative research centres, institutes, labs, and networks—including the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government. The Mulroney Institute contributes innovative research and creative solutions to complex policy and governance problems. Its public outreach activities influence and stimulate discourse, while its educational programs develop the next generation of Canadian leaders. Since its inception in 2018, the Mulroney Institute has developed expertise in Northern Studies. The Institute has research chairs and fellows whose specialties include: Northern search and rescue, Arctic maritime security, energy policy, the semiotics of Northern Canada’s soundscape, and the study of Northern Islands’ culture and heritage.

StFX is a signatory to Dimensions, a national initiative to increase equity, diversity and inclusion within the research ecosystem. The program addresses obstacles faced by women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups, and members of 2SLGBTQ2+ communities.

Facts and figures

Web	https://www.stfx.ca
Year Established	1853
Total Number of Staff	901
Number of Academic Staff	360
Number of Students	5020
Focus Areas	The following four themes are the pillars of the StFX Strategic Plan for Research and Creative Works 2019-2025: Public policy, governance and leadership: In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, evidence-based policy must be supported by Canada’s academic community. Our work, based on rigorous academic standards and guided by an evolving thematic framework, is designed to engage with many of today’s most pressing policy, governance and leadership questions to inform and enrich the continuing debate. Climate and environment: Climate and environment research at StFX is broadly inter-disciplinary, linking faculty applying natural and physical science research methodologies, with those involved in social, health and management sciences. It includes researchers with interests in sustainable development, marine and freshwater ecology, fisheries, natural resources management, and energy-environment issues. Healthy people and communities: Health is an area of many broad existing and emerging research-related interests and capacities at StFX. Given that StFX does not possess a medical school, health research interests tend to blend traditional biomedical approaches to health research with efforts that are strongly focused on social determinants and arts-informed approaches to understanding health. Culture, societies and development: This area brings together significant humanities research capabilities across StFX in areas such as Renaissance art history; Celtic languages, history and literature; ancient, medieval and Enlightenment languages, literature and history; Hispanic civilization; Arabic studies; ancient and medieval philosophy, as well as early and medieval theology, non-western religious traditions and Biblical studies. Creative scholars at StFX are producing artistic, film, musical, poetry and theatrical contributions to culture. The study of culture and development at StFX spans topics aimed at increasing our understanding of how humans develop individually, and collectively – from local to global levels.
Web link for international students	https://www.stfx.ca/student-services/support-services/human-rights-equity/diversity-engagement-centre/international-student-advising
Fields of Study Offered	Teaching and training Education science Training for teachers with subject specialisation Teacher training and education science (others) Fine arts Music and performing arts Religion Foreign languages Mother tongue History and archaeology Philosophy and ethics Psychology Sociology and cultural studies Political science and civics Economics Social and behavioural science (others) Marketing and advertising Finance, banking, insurance Accounting and taxation Management and administration Business and administration (others) Biology and biochemistry Environmental science Physics Chemistry Earth science Mathematics Statistics Computer science Engineering and engineering trades (broad programmes) Fisheries Nursing and caring Health (others)