Education
She graduated in Foreign Modern Languages in 1996 (University of Perugia) and obtained a Masters’ degree in International Commerce (Italian Ministry of Foreign Trade, Ca’ Foscari and University of Naples L’Orientale). In 2008 she obtained a Doctoral degree in East Asian Civilization from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in 2008.
Academic career
After a few years as adjunct professor (from 2008 to 2011) at Florence (Chinese Language and Literature) and Ca' Foscari (Chinese Language 1; 2; 3; History of China), she was jointly appointed by the Department of Economics and the Department of Asian and Mediterranean African Studies as Researcher (2012-2013) at Ca' Foscari in the disciplinary field SECS/P-01 Political Economics. She taught East Asian Economics (China) and Chinese-Italian Business Translation. From 2013 to 2017 she was a Research Fellow in the Department of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she taught Modern East Asian History. In 2013 she qualified as Associate Professor in the macro-sector 10/N3 Central and East Asian Cultures. From 2017 to 2022, she was a Senior academic lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities of the Catholic University of Leuven, where she taught History of Contemporary China; China's Domestic and Foreign Policy; Intercultural Management in Chinese Contexts; Transnational and Global Perspectives on East Asia and, as of 2020, became Academic Coordinator of the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Chinese Studies.
Scientific Activity
Marie Curie Fellow (senior) IEF (FP7) 'China's economic relations with Western Europe during the Cold War', London School of Economics and Political Science, Sep 2013 - Aug 2015. Supervisor: Prof. Arne Westad
Research Fellowship National Central Library, Taipei, Taiwan, Jun - Nov 2012
ESF fellowship "Veneto and China between fears and opportunities. The role of regional institutions in promoting the Veneto economic system', Department of International Studies, University of Padua, Jun 2011 - May 2012
Post-doctoral Fellow Chiang Ching Kuo Foundation (Taiwan) "The Early Years of Nationalisation of the Manufacturing Sector in Southern China (1949-1956)", Jun 2009 - May 2011
She participated in numerous national and international research programmes:
(PRIN 2005) "Economic development, political transformations and new media languages in China and Japan" Coordinator: Prof. Samarani, Ca' Foscari, Jul 2006 - Oct 2008; (PRIN 2007) "Business models and marketing strategies of Italian companies in the Chinese market". Coordinator: Prof. Vescovi, Ca' Foscari, Jul 2008 - Oct 2010; (PRIN 2009) "Retail and branding strategies in the internationalization process: made in Italy products in different sociocultural contexts". Coordinator: Prof. Aiello, University of Florence, Jul 2010 - Oct 2012; (Jun 2011 - May 2013) Progetto d'Ateneo "At the roots of the recognition of the People's Republic of China by Europe, 1960-1974. National and transnational actors and strategies. Coord: Prof. Meneguzzi, Padua; (Oct 2011 - Feb 2014) Progetto d'Ateneo "Italy, Europe, China. Economic, political and cultural relations during the Cold War (1954-1971). Coordinator: Prof. Samarani, Ca' Foscari;
(2015-2017) Collaborative project jointly funded by ESRC (UK) and RGC (HK) “China, Hong Kong, and the Long 1970’s in Global Perspective” involving a team of scholars based in Europe, HK and US, with Odd Arne Westad (Harvard) and Priscilla Roberts (HKU) as principal investigators.
(2017-2019) Collaborative project finalized at establishing research networks “Decentering models of Sino-Western relations: a perspective from economic and business history of early PRC” in collaboration with the Institute of Contemporary China (Beijing) and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Modern History.
(2021-2023) Collective project funded by DFG led by Jan Zofka (Leipzig-Institut für Geschichte und Kultur des östlichen Europa) and Chen Tao (Tongji University, Shanghai) on the economic dimensions of the Sino-Soviet alliance and split.
She organised, coordinated and directed the following international research projects:
(2017-2019) 'Decentering models of Sino-Western relations: a perspective from economic and business history of early PRC' Project aimed at building research networks jointly funded by KU Leuven in cooperation with the Institute of Contemporary China (Beijing) and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Modern History.
(Oct 2018 - Sep 2022) Start-up Grant 'Writing the history of industrial enterprises in modern China. Analysing the role of local and foreign models', funded by KU Leuven;
(Mar - Sep 2022) 'Compilation of a Corpus of Red Culture Policy Texts in English and Chinese', funded by KU Leuven.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Community activities:
(2018 - 2022) Conceptualisation and organisation of CHINESE FRAMES - film and debate series on contemporary China for students and staff of KU Leuven and Flemish civil society on the following topics: Media representation of citizens of Asian origin in Flanders and the Netherlands (in collaboration with Cinemasia - Amsterdam); Hong Kong protests; unconventional sexuality; the Uyghur question; industry and pollution (in collaboration with Docville - Leuven); Chinese influence in Africa (in collaboration with Afrikafilmfestival - Flanders).
