Dr. Robin D. Muhammad
Dr. Robin Muhammad, Associate Professor of African American Studies, has been collaborating with scholars, historians, sociologists and economists from all over the world to research shipyard labor, technology and policy. Due to COVID-19, Muhammad and her fellow scholars transitioned to hosting a virtual workshop to discuss newly found research that will culminate in the team’s second publication, reports Ohio University News.
The virtual workshop, organized by Muhammad in partnership with the International Institute for Social History (IISH), was held July 20 and allowed the research team to present preliminary findings focused on looking at the shipbuilding industry in over 12 countries from around the world, specifically investigating how this vital industry shapes international trade and domestic economies.
“Workshops are intensely interactive and allow people to talk about their research in an informal setting,” Muhammad said. “Since we are having to meet remotely, the workshops are becoming even more critical to moving the scholarship forward. Everybody is trying to keep working, regardless of our particular job, and it’s encouraging to see collaboration move forward even if it’s not face-to-face.”
Some of the preliminary findings presented during the virtual workshop include the connection between shipbuilding and shipbreaking, analyzing how shipbuilding has declined in many parts of the world, including the U.S., yet shipbreaking – the dismantling of ships for scraps – has boomed over the last decade.
Read the rest of the story at Ohio University News.
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