Philanthropist couple Arran and Ratana Stephens have donated $40 million to the new SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine in downtown Surrey.

The generous $40 million donation from the family of Ratana Stephens and Arran Stephens is the largest single gift in the university’s history. In recognition of the donation, the downtown Surrey medical school has been renamed the SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine. The funding will help support medical research, innovation, student training, and important infrastructure for the new school.

The Stephens family says it is proud to partner with Simon Fraser University, and the $40 million donation is an investment in the future of health care in British Columbia. The donation will support the medical school in training future physicians and strengthening the province’s health-care system.

The school is preparing to welcome its first 48 students in August 2026, with enrolment expected to increase to 120 students by 2035. The state-of-the-art medical school is the first new medical school in Western Canada in nearly 60 years and is expected to make Surrey a hub of innovative, high-quality health care.

Source: Tom Zytaruk, Surrey Now-Leader