About Us
Based in Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Science, SURGE offers a range of programs that complement the training provided in a traditional science degree. We focus on skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century — a world full of significant challenges and rapid change. SURGE provides applied training in the skills needed to develop innovative solutions to real problems and make those solutions a reality through entrepreneurship, social enterprise, not-for-profits, or other means. We also provide unique, resume-building experiences in leadership, communication, and working in multidisciplinary teams.
We do this through workshops, multi-week programs, weekend “deep dive” events, challenge-based programming, a capstone course in innovation and entrepreneurship, and an incubator program for early-stage teams to develop a startup idea. Our goal is to empower students to lead and make the world a better place through science.
While serving students across the Faculty of Science, SURGE is also closely affiliated with the Ocean Frontier Institute to support oceans-related innovation.
We believe that innovation and entrepreneurship processes are among the most powerful human tools and can empower people to effect positive change in the world. Our work is founded on the belief that teaching these tools to scientists holds humanity’s best hopes for the future. At the same time, we recognize that history has not created a level playing field for everyone when it comes to opportunities in science, technology, and entrepreneurship.
So, beyond programming for a broad audience, we aim to develop programs to help encourage and support traditionally under-represented groups, including (but not limited to) Indigenous people, African Nova Scotians, people identifying as LGBTQ2+, and women. SURGE is a safe space where everyone should feel welcome and included, free to pursue opportunities, and free to express divergent opinions in the spirit of productive academic exchange.
Dalhousie University is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. We are all Treaty people. We recognize that African Nova Scotians are a distinct people whose histories, legacies and contributions have enriched that part of Mi’kma’ki known as Nova Scotia for over 400 years.