Ana Mihaela Istrate

Ana Mihaela Istrate serves as an Associate Professor at the Romanian-American University of Bucharest where she teaches intercultural communication, English language courses, and Romanian as a foreign language to international students in the preparatory year program. She earned her PhD in Philology from the University of Bucharest in 2012 with a dissertation focused on Iconology - the interdisciplinary study connecting literature and fine arts.

Dr. Istrate has developed extensive international experience through training courses in intercultural communication conducted in the UK, Poland, and Finland, and has taught at universities in Japan, France, and Spain. Her academic profile demonstrates a strong bridge between language education, cultural studies, and technological innovation in teaching methodologies.

Her primary research interests include intercultural communication, culture shock among international students, foreign language acquisition (particularly Romanian and English as foreign languages), literature, and iconology. She examines how students adapt to new cultural environments and how technology can enhance language learning experiences, with particular attention to motivation, cultural adaptation, and digital competence development.

Dr. Istrate's publication record reveals a clear interdisciplinary trajectory connecting literary studies with educational technology applications. Her recent work (2023-2024) increasingly focuses on digital tools for language learning, examining how virtual reality, AI assistants, and online platforms transform foreign language acquisition. While maintaining her strong foundation in literary and cultural studies (particularly Romanticism and cross-cultural influences), she has expanded into architectural technology integration and STEAM education applications, demonstrating how technological innovations can enhance traditional teaching methods while addressing practical challenges faced by international students.

Dr. Istrate actively contributes to the academic community as a member of the organizing committee for the 'Crossing Boundaries in Culture and Communication' international conference at the Romanian-American University and serves on the editorial committee for its proceedings. She regularly publishes in specialized journals both domestically and internationally, and participates in academic conferences worldwide.