Opening the Black Box of Container Shipping: Technology, Environment, and Society of Global Sea Trade
Liang Wu, Ph.D., Department of Science & Technology Studies, Einaudi Center for International Studies, Southeast Asia Program, and Cornell Oceans, Cornell University
What is the story behind the modern shipping container? In recent years, the supply chain crisis during the Covid-19 global pandemic, Suez Canal obstruction, Baltimore bridge collapse, geopolitical conflicts, and trade war have all put the shipping industry in the spotlight. Among the global merchant fleet, container ships are responsible for transporting the majority of the world’s manufactured goods and products – everyday commodities that we consume on a daily basis. And yet, the public knows little about this industry that we all rely on. What is the history of container shipping? And how have the developments of container shipping changed seaports, seafaring, and the sea? What are some of the lesser-known networks and mechanisms involved in transoceanic logistics? In this talk, maritime scholar Dr. Liang Wu from Cornell University will open the black box of container shipping to look into its systematic workings in the postwar globalization era. In particular, he will shed light on the industry’s social and environmental conditions and ramifications. Traveling through time and between waterfront, shipboard, underwater, and overseas spaces, Dr. Wu will cover everything from shipping externalities to the life stories of seafarers and the maritime future of the planet.
Biography:
Dr. Liang Wu is an engaged scholar and public intellectual who has been studying the international shipping and seafaring industry since 2006. He has carried out extensive and in-depth research at ports in Asia and the U.S., onboard, and online. Dr. Wu received his Ph.D. from the Graduate Center, City University of New York with his doctoral work supported by the National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, Wenner-Gren Foundation, Center for Engaged Scholarship, and Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies among other agencies. He is a former Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Bates College, and Marine Policy and Science Communication Knauss Fellow at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration. Dr. Wu is currently a Cornell University Postdoctoral Associate of Environmental Humanities, and Oceanic, International, Southeast Asian, and Science and Technology Studies. He also belongs to various national and international working groups and professional associations such as Waterfront Alliance, Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Links to more information:
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/liangwunyc
Cornell University Department of Science & Technology Studies profile: https://sts.cornell.edu/liang-wu
Cornell University Einaudi Center for International Studies profile: https://einaudi.cornell.edu/discover/people/liang-wu
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