Krista Van Fleit

Krista Van Fleit is an Associate Professor of Chinese Literature and Language at the University of South Carolina's Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures within the College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and has held significant roles including Director of the South Carolina Center for Teaching About Asia and President of the Southeastern Conference of the Association for Asian Studies.

Her research focuses on modern Chinese literature/film, Sino-Indian cultural exchanges, and transnational Asian studies. Notable projects include a Fulbright-funded study on film exchanges between China and India, resulting in publications like Literature the People Love (2013) and articles analyzing Indian cinema's reception in China.

Recent awards include a 2022 Summer Research Grant and a 2022 article in China and Asia. Teaching includes courses such as 'Bollywood to Beijing' and 'Screening China.' She advises graduate theses and chairs dissertation committees, demonstrating her commitment to academic mentorship.

• Education: Ph.D. (2007), M.A. (2002) from University of Chicago; B.A. (1997) from Indiana University
• Key Grants: Fulbright-Nehru (2014), Provost Humanities Grant (2014), Summer Research Grants (2022)
• Professional Service: Directed Center for Asian Studies (2016-2021), organized conferences on China-India relations and digital China studies

Her work bridges cultural diplomacy, film studies, and Cold War history, with recent focus on post-Mao reform era cultural exchanges.