With the help of Dr. Edward Chung’s international KS Seed project grant since Sept. 2022 (many thanks to KSPS, the AKS, Korea), we have continuously offered and taught a large number of KS courses for the KS or Asian Studies Minor degree program as well as for students’ general interest in taking them as elective courses.

During the academic year of 2024–2025, the CKS is supporting the UPEI KS Program financially to offer and teach most of these KS courses (taught by part-time sessional instructors with doctorate degrees):

• 1012 Introduction to Korean I (online; c-listed with ML 1012; 125 students enrolled in fall 2024)
• 1022 Korean II (online; c-listed with ML 1012; 70–90 expected in spring 2025)
• 2201 Korean Civilization (in-person or online; 100 in winter 2024; 130 expected in winter 2025)
• 2201 Korean Culture and Society (53 students in 2023; 130 enrolled in fall 2024)
• 2301 Introduction to Korean Religions (c-listed as RS 2301; 100 in winter 2024; 12 expected in winter 2024)
• 2401 Digital Media and Pop-culture in South Korea (online; 130 enrolled in fall 2024)
• 2090 (Special Topic) Korea and Canada: Educational Pedagogies and Cultural Contexts (60 in summer 2023; 70–80 expected in winter 2025)
• 3101 Modern Korean History (c-listed as Hist 3090; 70 enrolled in fall 2024)
• 3201 Korean Arts: Traditional and Modern (60in winter 2024; 70 expected in winter 2025)
• 3090 (Special Topic) Korea and Canada: Trade, Technology, and Diplomacy (at least 60 expected in winter 2025).

Current total enrollment in four KS courses (1012, 2201, 2401, and 3101) during the fall 2024 semester is 440, which is the huge and highest number for a UPEI program without any fulltime faculty member at all (tenured. tenure-track, or term contract appointment). The anticipated total enrollment number for the winter 2025 semester with 4 KS courses is another 440 at least. In other words, the KS program’s combined annual (2024–2025) total enrollment number will be about 880! This annual enrolment number easily matches or can even exceed the average annual enrolment numbers that are maintained by several established Departments in the Faculty of Arts, such as Modern Languages, Philosophy, and Political Science having 4–5 full-time faculty members.

Is it not quite stunning to see that since Jan. 2018, individual enrolment numbers in these KS courses have quadrupled or increased 5–6 times over the past several years? Total course enrolment 120–130 in all KS courses during the academic year of 2018–2019, but this annual enrolment increased four times to 520–530 in 2022–2023. And then 650–660 in 2023–2024: five times more than five years ago. It is expected to be 880 in 2024–2025! six times more than 2018–2019. What a huge program growth with the absolutely highest enrolment increase among all Arts departments and programs (and possibly all UPEI Faculties and Schools) departments and programs.

UPEI Asian Studies and KS Programs have no full-time faculty member at all; however, the University is operating these programs very cost-effectively with little internal sessional (part-time) teaching stipend support while enjoying such huge program and enrolment success in terms of both quantity and quality. Like booming “K-pop” (e.g., BTS), “K-food,” and “K-drama” around the world, our KS courses are enjoying high popularity and strong student demand at UPEI.

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