Elio Brancaforte

Elio Brancaforte serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Germanic & Slavic Studies at Tulane University, New Orleans, specializing in cross-cultural encounters between early modern Europe and Asia.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, Harvard University

Brancforte's research centers on European travel narratives from the 16th-18th centuries, with particular emphasis on Safavid Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region. His work critically examines translation practices, cartographic representations, and the interplay between textual and visual media in historical contexts. Additional scholarly domains include German baroque drama and the material history of books.

As the recipient of the ONGC Visiting Fellowship, he currently leads three major Azerbaijan-focused initiatives: translating six early modern European travel accounts, authoring a monograph on Engelbert Kaempfer's 1683-1684 Shirwan expedition, and curating the Royal Geographical Society exhibition 'Travels to the Land of Silk and Fire: Encounters between Britain and Azerbaijan (1561-1918).'

His professional recognition includes:

• ONGC Visiting Fellowship

Brancforte maintains active research collaborations across international institutions but no formal laboratory affiliations are documented in available sources.