Abstract: Vladimit Biti is Distinguished Professor at University of Vienna, member of Academia Europaea, and editor of arcadia: International Journal of Literary Culture. He published over a hundred articles and nine books including the most recent Tracing Global Democracy Literature, Theory, and the Politics of Trauma (2016) and Attached to Dispossession: Sacrificial Narratives in Post-imperial Europe (2018), Biti engaged in a number of research areas such as cosmopolitanism, trauma theory, culture criticism, and narrative theory. On behalf of Foreign Literature Studies, Dr. Wan Xiaomeng interviewed Biti on a wide range of issues during his visit to Shanghai Jiao Tong University in June 2018. When addressing the complexity of cosmopolitanism, Biti claims that different geopolitical, social, and cultural circumstances develop different and often hybrid forms of cosmopolitanism, and thus it is so multi-faceted and heterogeneous phenomenon. Apart from commenting on the recent developments in trauma theory, narrative theory and ethical criticism, he also elaborates on such concepts as “sacrificial narrative” and “pedagogical relationship.” In addition, Biti offers suggestions for Chinese young scholars and expresses his hope for Chinese-European cooperation in the future.

Key words: cosmopolitanism, nationalism, trauma theory