Biography

Anup Kumar Mitra is a Bangladeshi academic, researcher, and educator specializing in English literature, cultural studies, ecocriticism, postcolonial studies, environmental humanities, critical animal studies, critical plant humanities, film and media studies, and critical-affective pedagogy. He currently serves as a Lecturer in the Department of English at the World University of Bangladesh (WUB), Dhaka, where he began his academic career in July 2026.
His academic and research interests are strongly interdisciplinary, connecting literature and culture with environmental concerns, questions of human and non-human relationships, decolonization, pedagogy, media, artificial intelligence, and contemporary social issues. His developing body of scholarship reflects a particular commitment to examining literary and cultural texts from postcolonial, ecological, posthuman, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

 

Education

Mitra completed both his undergraduate and postgraduate education in English at Gopalganj Science and Technology University, Bangladesh.

He earned his Master of Arts in English Literature and Cultural Studies in the 2022–23 academic session, achieving a CGPA of 3.77 and securing 2nd position in the merit list. His MA thesis, titled “Global Screens, Local Voices: Exploring Climate Change Representations in Selected Films and Bangladeshi Audience Responses,” investigated climate change representation in cinema alongside audience responses in Bangladesh. His postgraduate studies included Postcolonial Studies, Comparative Literature, Literary Theory, Cultural Studies, Contemporary British Literature, Shakespeare, Bangladeshi Writing in English, and modern and postmodern literary studies.

Earlier, he completed his Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in English, obtaining a CGPA of 3.44 and ranking 3rd in his cohort. His undergraduate coursework provided a broad foundation in research methodology, media studies, literary criticism, South Asian literature, American literature, translation studies, English language teaching, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, phonetics and phonology, philosophy, and cultural anthropology.

His academic performance was recognized with the Vice Chancellor Scholarship for Academic Excellence in 2025 after he secured second position in the MA program. He was also awarded the competitive GSTU Master of Arts (Thesis) Fellowship by the university’s Research Center for the 2025–2026 fiscal year to support full-time research and publication activities.

 

Academic Career

Mitra joined the Department of English at the World University of Bangladesh as a Lecturer on 6 July 2026. His appointment marked the beginning of his full-time university teaching career following several years of active engagement in research, academic conferences, student organizations, cultural activities, and scholarly publication.

As an educator, his interests extend beyond conventional literary instruction to interdisciplinary and student-centered approaches to English studies. His research on critical-affective and humanising pedagogy, film-based learning, decolonization, and artificial intelligence in language education reflects his broader interest in connecting classroom teaching with emerging educational, ethical, technological, and social concerns.

 

Research Contributions

Mitra has developed an expanding research portfolio covering postcolonial literature, ecocriticism, environmental humanities, film and media studies, critical animal studies, critical plant humanities, cultural studies, decolonization, critical-affective pedagogy, ecofeminism, and TESOL.

His published research includes studies of petrocapitalism and environmental crisis in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, anthropocentrism and posthuman possibilities in Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West, identity and religion in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, film as a tool for developing critical thinking in arts education, and the relationship between postcolonialism, race, gender, and Gothic fiction in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

His continuing research further expands into critical animal studies, Shakespeare and environmental crisis, critical plant studies, climate cinema of the Global South, humanising pedagogy in TESOL, and ethical concerns surrounding artificial intelligence and data privacy in language assessment.

A defining feature of Mitra’s research is his effort to reconsider established literary texts through contemporary theoretical perspectives. Rather than treating canonical literature solely as historical or aesthetic material, his work explores how literature can illuminate present-day questions involving ecology, climate change, migration, coloniality, species relations, social justice, education, technology, and cultural power.

 

Conference Presentations and International Academic Engagement

Mitra has been an active participant in national and international academic conferences since his undergraduate and postgraduate years. He has presented research at conferences organized by universities and academic organizations in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, addressing literature, language education, environmental humanities, decolonization, artificial intelligence, pedagogy, and cultural studies.

His conference presentations have examined topics including ecological mourning in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, AI literacy among tertiary-level English students in Bangladesh, ecological crises in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, film and critical thinking, critical plant studies, speciesism and racism, and data privacy and ethical challenges associated with AI in language assessment.

He has also presented papers on decolonizing English curricula, linguistic imperialism in the Global South, trans-speciesism and social justice, posthuman approaches to migration and borders, contemplative pedagogy, and ecological representations in literature. His participation has included conferences organized by institutions and organizations such as the British Council, BRAC University, North South University, University of Rajshahi, Independent University Bangladesh, Green University of Bangladesh, Daffodil International University, Tribhuvan University, and the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.

These engagements reflect his growing interest in participating in interdisciplinary academic conversations that extend beyond traditional literary studies and connect humanities scholarship with environmental, technological, educational, and social challenges.

 

Awards and Academic Recognition

Mitra’s early academic career has been marked by recognition for academic achievement and research potential. His principal academic honors include the Vice Chancellor Scholarship for Academic Excellence from Gopalganj Science and Technology University and the GSTU Master of Arts (Thesis) Fellowship, awarded on the basis of academic merit and intended to support research and publication.

Securing second place in his MA program and third place during his undergraduate studies further demonstrates a consistent record of strong academic performance.

 

Professional Development

Alongside literary and cultural studies, Mitra has pursued professional development across language, technology, research, communication, and digital skills.

He completed the American Pronunciation of English training and certification organized by Northern Arizona University, USA, in 2024. He also completed a 60-hour Introduction to Programming with Python training conducted by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Gopalganj Science and Technology University.

His additional training includes courses in digital marketing, WordPress and WooCommerce, web development, UI/UX design, corporate and advanced English, time management, emotional intelligence, mobile photography, freelancing, and social media marketing.

He is familiar with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, SPSS, Python, HTML, CSS, WordPress, WooCommerce, online communication platforms, and basic photo and video editing.

Leadership, Service, and Cultural Engagement

Mitra’s university experience has also been characterized by extensive involvement in student leadership, volunteerism, cultural activities, and organizational service. He has served in positions including Vice-President and Publicity Secretary of the Rajbari District Student Association, Editorial Board Member of Udici, Campus Ambassador, Departmental Delegate for the Hult Prize, volunteer, and member of several university-based social, cultural, and environmental organizations.

He also worked as an editorial assistant and volunteer coordinator for the 1st National Student Conference 2025 organized by the Department of English at Gopalganj Science and Technology University. His responsibilities included formatting and publishing the Book of Abstracts, coordinating volunteers, managing registration records through Google Workspace, assisting with the registration booth, and editing certificates.

Beyond academic activities, Mitra has experience in theatre, music, public speaking, and cultural performance. He has participated in performances and direction of plays including Waiting for Godot, Volpone, and A Doll’s House, and has performed as a vocalist and chorus singer in departmental cultural programs.

His sustained involvement in volunteering and community-oriented activities reflects a broader commitment to collaborative learning, cultural engagement, organizational responsibility, and service beyond the classroom.

 

Research and Career Philosophy

Anup Kumar Mitra’s emerging academic career is guided by a commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship, environmental responsibility, decolonial thinking, inclusive education, and continuous intellectual development.

His research seeks to explore how literature, film, culture, and language education can contribute to understanding some of the defining questions of contemporary society—from climate change and ecological crisis to colonial legacies, human-animal relationships, technological transformation, artificial intelligence, and educational ethics.

As an educator and researcher, he aims to bridge literary scholarship with contemporary realities while encouraging students to approach texts critically, ethically, and imaginatively. His long-term academic interests lie in developing as a literary and cultural critic, strengthening interdisciplinary research in the environmental humanities and postcolonial studies, contributing to innovative approaches to English education, and participating in scholarly collaborations within Bangladesh and the wider international academic community.

 

Education/Academic Qualification

Research expertise keywords