Amelia Antolini is a PhD candidate in Critical Heritage Studies at the Leiden Institute for Area Studies (LIAS). Her doctoral project investigates the contemporary management and governance of buildings and infrastructures built during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945) in Taiwan. Amelia centers her work on analysing visual and spatial materials, including on-site architectural assessments, historical maps, archival photographs, and promotional media, aiming to understand how top-down heritage policies shape physical space and public perception.

More information about Amelia Antolini

Fields of interest

• Spatial and cultural identity
• Built environment and Architecture
• Post-colonial theory
• Taiwan modern history
• Imperial Japan

Research

The doctoral project examines the management and reception of Japanese colonial sites in Taiwan following the 2016 Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. In particular, the research explores how heritage frameworks interact with local memory and physical space. To analyse these dynamics, the study pairs policy assessment and visual/spatial analysis with quantitative visitor surveys across selected sites, including architectural heritage such as the Taoyuan Martyrs' Shrine and infrastructural sites like the Alishan Forest Railway.

Grants and Awards

• 2026: Taiwan-Belgium-Netherlands Academic Exchange and International Mobility Research Grant (Ministry of Education, Taiwan), awarded for doctoral research
• 2022: IIAS Dual Degree Mobility Grant in Critical Heritage Studies (International Institute for Asian Studies & Leiden University), awarded to pursue a MSc at National Taiwan University
• 2022: Glorisun Grant (Glorisun Global Network), awarded full scholarship to attend the International & Intensive Program in Buddhist Studies at Yale University
• 2020: BA Tuition Exemption Award (Regional Government of Veneto, Italy), awarded for academic excellence during undergraduate studies
• 2019: ‘Overseas’ Mobility Scholarship (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), awarded to attend intensive Mandarin language training for a semester at Xi’An Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China

Curriculum vitae

• 2026–present: PhD Candidate, Leiden University
• 2022–2024: MSc Building and Planning, National Taiwan University
• 2021–2023: MA Asian Studies (History, Arts and Culture of Asia Track; Focus on Critical Heritage Studies of Asia and Europe), Leiden University
• 2017–2021: BA Languages, Cultures and Societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa (China Studies Track; Minor in Arts Management), Ca’ Foscari University of Venice