Francesco Eugenio Barbieri

Francesco Eugenio Barbieri is a tenured Researcher in Japanese language and literature at the University of Bergamo (Department of Languages, Literatures and Foreign Cultures). He holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Bologna with a dissertation on literary theory, and previously served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies through a JSPS grant.

• Current teaching: Japanese Language II (Linguistics & Translation), 54 hours
• Former teaching: Japanese Literature at University of Catania (Ragusa campus) and University of Turin

Research focuses on contemporary Japanese literature's intersection with globalization, including:

• Ecocritical readings of Yōko Tawada's works
• Transcultural literature (ekkyō bungaku)
• Global urban space representation
• Comparative approaches to Japanese-Italian literary connections
• Food and embodiment in transnational narratives

Publications trend toward global-local tensions in postmodern Japanese fiction, with particular emphasis on Yōko Tawada's translingual works and ecocritical responses to environmental disasters. His 2023 monograph explores urban space dynamics across contemporary Japanese authors.

Scientific achievements:

• JSPS Research Grant (2014-2016)
• Two research grants at University of Turin (2010s)

Advising: Supervises final theses on topics including

• Japanese urban literature
• Ecocriticism in Japanese fiction
• Transcultural narratives
• Food studies in Japanese texts
• Comparative literature approaches

Labs & Teams: Collaborates with international research networks and provides students access to a Moodle platform with thesis resources, bureaucratic guides, and seminar materials for final project preparation.