Daniel FriedView profile
Associate Professor
Associate Professor Daniel Fried holds the Chair position in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Arts. His research focuses on comparative approaches to classical Chinese literature, intellectual history, and Daoist semiotics, with particular attention to Northern Song Dynasty print culture and European literary theory intersections. Current projects include a literary non-fiction work linking Daoist philosophy to social activism. Key academic roles include Co-Editor of the Routledge Studies in Comparative Chinese Literature and Culture series (2020–present), Founding Chair of the MLA Forum on pre-14th century Chinese Literature (2018), and President of the Association of Chinese and Comparative Literature (2017–2019). Teaching responsibilities include advanced readings in modern Chinese literature and graduate research methods courses. Research interests span ancient Chinese textuality, medieval print culture transformations, and cross-cultural philosophical dialogues. Recent publications (2020–2023) emphasize Song Dynasty print modernity and Daoist semiotic frameworks. Earlier works address pre-Qin philosophical discourse and 20th century comparative literature methodologies. No scientific awards explicitly listed. Advising focuses exclusively on graduate students researching Chinese literature/philosophy from Warring States to Southern Song periods. Active in developing interdisciplinary research programs bridging Anglophone and Sinophone scholarship. Led development of East Asia Research Methods (EASIA 550), an online graduate course covering regional and disciplinary methodologies. Current research projects maintain focus on pre-modern Chinese cultural production and its global comparative dimensions.
