Anna Morbiato

Anna Morbiato is an Associate Professor in the Department of Asian and North African Studies at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, where she teaches Chinese language and linguistics. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ca' Foscari School for International Education (CFSIE) and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Annali di Ca’ Foscari Serie orientale. Her academic work bridges linguistics, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence.

Education:

• PhD in Linguistics, University of Sydney (Cotutelle)
• PhD in Asian and African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
• MA in Technical and Scientific Translation, Ca' Foscari University of Venice (First Class Honours)
• BA in Translation and Interpretation, Ca' Foscari University of Venice (First Class Honours)

Her research focuses on Chinese syntax, information structure, pragmatics, and second language acquisition, employing cognitive-functional and corpus-based methodologies. She has contributed extensively to the understanding of word order, topic structure, and anaphora in Mandarin, with applications in language teaching and AI.

The recent publications of Anna Morbiato reveal a strong trend toward interdisciplinary research, particularly in human-centric AI and natural language understanding. Her work connects linguistic theory with practical applications in technology, focusing on how language encodes meaning in procedural and culinary texts. She integrates cognitive linguistics with corpus analysis and experimental data, especially in studying Italian learners of Chinese.

Scientific Awards:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Seal of Excellence (2018)
• Valedictorian, Ca’Foscari University (2018)
• Campus Mentis Award (2010)
• Chinese Bridge Competition 3rd Prize (2007)
• Multiple First Class Honours distinctions

Anna Morbiato has supervised numerous BA and MA theses and is responsible for Chinese language instruction at her department. She has received competitive research grants from the European Union (Horizon 2020, PRIN), Australian Government (Endeavour), and the University of Sydney. Her leadership extends to organizing international conferences and serving on PhD committees and editorial boards.

She is actively involved in the MUHAI (Meaning and Understanding in Human-centric AI) project, where she contributes case studies in cognitive semantics and pragmatics, and in the PRIN ACHIEVE project on Chinese verb complex acquisition. Her institutional roles include curriculum development, editorial leadership, and academic governance.