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ACU Professor of Literature Debjani Ganguly appointed director of Harvard institute

Professor Debjani Ganguly from ACU’s Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences has been named director of the Institute for World Literature (IWL) at Harvard University.

The IWL was established at Harvard University in 2011 to explore the study of literature in a globalising world. The Institute revolves around an intensive four-week summer program, held annually at Harvard and in international locations, and taught by leading names in world literature.

The Institute has 50 affiliates that include four Australian universities.

Professor Ganguly’s appointment was announced at the conclusion of the institute’s 15th session, held this year from 30 June and 24 July at Harvard University.

She is the first academic based in Australia to lead the Institute and will also take up a new position as affiliate of Harvard University’s Department of Comparative Literature.

A literary and cultural historian with exceptional contributions to the theories of world literature, Professor Ganguly’s recent works include a two-volume The Cambridge History of World Literature and the monograph This Thing Called the World: The Contemporary Novel as Global Form. She is also the general editor of the book series, ‘Cambridge Studies in World Literature.’

Professor Ganguly has led two humanities institutes, including the Institute of the Humanities and Global Cultures at the University of Virginia, and the Humanities Research Centre at the Australian National University.

Her research has recently branched into the digital humanities space, exploring growing concerns raised by the imminent use of artificial intelligence, data management, and social media.

Professor Ganguly hopes to bring a fresh understanding of world literature to the Institute, one that includes “the field’s vibrant material history ranging from the discovery of cuneiform tablets to the study of parchment manuscripts, calligraphic art, and early printmaking”. 

“In the modern era, literary world-making is unthinkable without the circulation and reception of books across magazines, libraries, publishing houses, printers, book sellers, literary festivals, and digital repositories,” she said.

“Literature is now also intermedial. Works are read, televised, filmed, and multi-mediated across cinema, television, the personal computer, tablets, and smart phones. Recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence are on the cusp of revolutionizing textual and creative production and offer daunting challenges to contemporary literary studies. 

“The recent AI copyright exemptions floated by Australia’s Productivity Commission has the potential to infringe on the intellectual property of creative writers. The Harvard Institute is particularly well-placed to work with contemporary writers, literary critics, and publishers to sensitize publics around the world on this critical issue.”

Professor Ganguly is keen to expand IWL’s Australian network and hopes to host the Institute’s annual meeting in Australia in either 2028 or 2029.