On September 18, Dr. Alicia Lazarinni gave a talk on her research exploring contemporary and colonial investment in Africa. Dr. Lazarinni is an economic geographer whose interdisciplinary research engages geographical and feminist political economy, postcolonial African studies, urban studies, and critical studies of development, race, and labor.
The talk began with a historical background on Africa and investment, starting from colonization and walking us through various changes, focusing on key architects. For her case study, she highlighted a well-known hotel in Mozambique called the Gloria Hotel. By examining the different designs over the years, she pointed out how Chinese investment raises new questions about the role of racism in the world, particularly through antiques and various structures like hotels.
She also noted that myths regarding the quality of products made in China versus those made in Europe have been perpetuated in Africa, leading people to believe that only goods from Europe and the US are of high quality and reliability.
This event brought together faculty and staff from different departments and research focuses, creating a thought-provoking experience.