Paper Brew 📚☕️

Presented by GDSC SFU

📅 Date: November 17, 2025

🕓 Time: 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

📍 Location: SFU Burnaby, ASB 9703

☕ About the Event

Looking to dive into the world of research but not sure where to start? Or maybe you’re already a research enthusiast looking to share ideas?

Paper Brew is a monthly meetup where students, mentors, and graduate researchers explore and discuss research papers — all in a relaxed, coffee-chat setting. It’s a chance to learn, connect, and spark curiosity in a welcoming space.

For our first session, we’ll be reading “Attention Is All You Need” by Vaswani et al. — the groundbreaking 2017 paper that introduced the Transformer architecture and reshaped the world of AI and large language models. You can read it ahead of time here: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1706.03762

📖 What to Expect

Each session features one or more research papers from fields like AI, software engineering, sustainability, or HCI.

You’ll:

• Discuss ideas and insights with peers and mentors

• Learn how to read, analyze, and critique academic papers

• Hear from graduate students about their research journeys

• Enjoy coffee, snacks, and casual conversations in a low-pressure environment

🕓 Agenda

4:00 – 4:15 PM → Welcome & Introductions

4:15 – 5:00 PM → Paper Presentation / Guided Reading

5:00 – 5:15 PM → Group Discussions + Q&A

5:15 – 5:30 PM → Networking

👥 Who Should Attend

Open to all SFU undergrads, graduate students, and anyone curious about research — especially those interested in AI, software, or emerging technologies.

No prior research experience required — just bring curiosity and an open mind!

Why Attend:

• ✅ Learn how to approach and discuss research papers effectively

• ✅ Meet mentors and grad students passionate about innovation

• ✅ Build confidence and connections in SFU’s research community

• Light refreshments will be provided.

Bring a friend (or make new ones) over refreshments and great conversation.