Adrien Carbonnet

Adrien Carbonnet serves as Associate Professor at KU Leuven's Faculty of Arts, where he concurrently holds leadership positions as Head of Japanese Studies and Director of the Centre for Korean Studies. He maintains an external affiliation as Fellow of the Institut Français de Recherche sur l’Asie de l’Est (INALCO/Université de Paris/CNRS). His academic profile centers on East Asian diplomatic history with specialized focus on Belgium's historical engagements with Korea and Japan during the imperial era.

Carbonnet's research investigates 19th-20th century international relations in East Asia, particularly Belgian-Korean diplomatic history culminating in the 1901 treaty, Japan-Belgium relations during the Russo-Japanese War, and Korean minority experiences in Japan. His current sabbatical project (2024-2025) at the University of Tokyo's Center for Korean Studies aims to produce a monograph on Belgium-Korean relations during imperialism (1876-1919). He also actively translates works by Korean-Japanese writer Kin Kakuei and examines disease perception in early 20th century Korea through Belgian diplomatic archives.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent emphasis on archival-driven diplomatic history, with recurring themes of European imperial influence in Korea, cross-cultural disease perception, and contemporary implications for inter-Korean relations. His work bridges historical scholarship with current diplomatic practices, frequently contextualizing modern Korean affairs through historical precedents while maintaining rigorous archival methodology.

Carbonnet's research portfolio includes significant grants: a 2024-2025 sabbatical monograph project on Belgium-Korea imperialism relations, the ongoing 2019-2025 study of Nippon Victor's role in global jazz history (as Co-promotor), and the concluded 2007-2024 Kansai University cooperation agreement. He contributes to academic governance as senior member of the Faculty of Arts Council and the POC Taal- en regiostudies committee.

As academic leader, Carbonnet directs the Centre for Korean Studies while heading the Japanese Studies unit, overseeing curriculum development for Korean language programs (reading, writing, grammar, conversation) and modern Japanese courses. His teaching extends to specialized seminars on East Asian international relations history, directly informing his research on Belgian diplomatic engagements in the region.