Historic scholarship opens a new chapter for Korean studies at U of T
Aug 19, 2026
Janet Poole, chair, department of East Asian Studies; Ena Yu, member, CSY Scholarship Committee, and widow of the late Dr. Chai-Shin Yu. Photo by Jiyoung Kang.
The legacy of a pioneering scholar, teacher and mentor who almost single-handedly established Korean studies at U of T has added a historic new chapter, thanks to a community campaign that organizers say channelled Dr. Chai-Shin Yu’s legendary spirit.
In collaboration with U of T, the Dr. Chai-Shin Yu Memorial Scholarship Committee (CSY Scholarship Committee) – including Yu’s widow, Ena Yu – raised $100,000 in just over a year to fully endow the Dr. Chai-Shin Yu Memorial Scholarship in Korean Studies. It is the first scholarship in Korean studies in the 50-year history of the program at the university.
Respect for its namesake drew nearly 100 donors, volunteers and supporters to the campaign, says fundraising committee chair Grace K. Lee, who earned her master of education from OISE in 2022. Lee joined forces with Ena Yu, the Department of East Asian Studies (EAS), other alumni, academics, business leaders, community members and even the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto in rallying to secure the graduate student scholarship in perpetuity.
(Pictured, left to right): O-Yul Kwon, Consul for Korean Overseas Affairs, Youngjae Kim, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto; Tiffany Wong, Communications and Events Coordinator, Department of East Asian Studies, Grace K. Lee, chair CSY Scholarship Committee; Jiyoung Kang, committee member, Ena Yu, widow of late Professor Chai-Shin Yu; Janet Poole, EAS chair, Richard DeLisle, Associate Director, Annual Leadership Giving, A&S; Jae Chong, CSY committee member. Photo by Jiyoung Kang.
“We committed to a big movement working together because that was the spirit of Dr. Yu,” says Lee. “He believed that leadership begins with understanding one’s roots and cultural heritage and then using that understanding to make a positive contribution to society. I wanted us to embrace both his spirit of partnership between U of T and the Korean community and his vision in establishing Korean Studies almost 50 years ago, because back then there was nothing of the sort.”
A catalyst for Korean studies
To say Yu was a catalyst for the study of Korea at U of T – and by extension, Canadian universities as a whole – is an understatement. In 1977, he convinced the fledgling, cash-strapped East Asian studies department, which at the time only taught courses on Japan and China, to add Korea to the curriculum.
In what would become a life-defining journey, Yu not only raised the funds for that first course in Korean studies, but he also taught it himself.
Dr. Chai-Shin Yu. Photo courtesy of Ena Yu.
In the decades that followed, Yu mobilized the Korean community in Toronto to continue fundraising to expand Korean courses at U of T.
He authored 20 books spanning Korean religion, thought and culture and built a reputation as a transformative scholar, a passionate teacher and a committed student champion.
At a time when university libraries held only a handful of books related to Korea, he worked tirelessly to secure support from donors and Korean government agencies to expand academic resources and donate thousands of books to library collections in Toronto and across North America.
Dr. Chai-Shin Yu. Photo courtesy of Ena Yu.
He also continued to nurture deep bonds with the Korean community in Toronto, playing a pivotal role in making possible the Korean gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum, and encouraging students to pursue their goals.
In addition to raising academic funds and resources for courses, Yu penned countless letters of recommendation for students and community members, many of whom later went into law, medicine, education or public service.
In the classroom, Yu introduced generations to Korean history and culture through his teaching, holding them spellbound with his passion and enthusiasm. “I think what characterized him was the breadth in which he thought about older Korean history and tradition, beyond the stereotypes,” says EAS chair Janet Poole. “He made it come alive.”
One of the largest programs in North America
In 1997, on the 20th anniversary of that first course he taught, the university formally recognized Yu’s distinct contributions to founding the Korean studies program and the decades of fundraising to support and expand it.
Inscribed on the commemorative plaque honoring his distinguished service, then-EAS chair Richard Guisso praised Yu for creating “a legacy for future generations and a source of pride for the University of Toronto” by inspiring students and youth. Guisso also wrote glowing recommendations for Yu’s books, and in 2017, Yu won a Korean Broadcasting System Award for his contribution to Korean studies in Canada.
I wanted us to embrace both his spirit of partnership between U of T and the Korean community and his vision in establishing Korean Studies almost 50 years ago, because back then there was nothing of the sort.
He mentioned these accomplishments “almost every day,” says Ena Yu of her husband, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 91.
Yu’s efforts paved the way for what has become one of the largest programs in Korean studies in North America. Graduates from the Korean studies program are teaching at major universities in North America, Europe and South Korea, and every year, an average of 600 students take courses ranging from Korean film and media to literature and modern history – even K-Pop. “Dr. Yu will be happy and smiling up there to see all of this,” says Lee.
I wanted us to embrace both his spirit of partnership between U of T and the Korean community and his vision in establishing Korean Studies almost 50 years ago, because back then there was nothing of the sort.
The first Dr. Chai-Shin Yu Memorial Scholarship in Korean Studies will be awarded in 2027, the 50th anniversary of Korean studies at the university, and the committee hopes the endowment will continue to grow through future community support and contributions. “This milestone marks not the conclusion of our work, but the beginning of a new chapter,” says Lee.
Donations can be made directly through the University of Toronto’s giving portal to the Dr. Chai-Shin Yu Memorial Scholarship in Korean Studies.
