Jatin Dua

Jatin Dua is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on maritime piracy in the Indian Ocean, governance, law, and economy along the East African coast. He is affiliated with the Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS Faculty), African Studies Center, and Asian Studies Center (ASC Faculty). His work examines the intersections of violence, mobility, and global shipping economies.

Research interests include:

• Maritime piracy and counter-piracy dynamics
• Racial capitalism and African seafarers' mobility
• Naval governance and risk calculation technologies
• Infrastructure investments in port cities

Current projects:

• Navigating the Bab-el-Mandeb: Studies navigation technologies and governance in a key maritime chokepoint
• Africa at Sea: Explores blackness and global shipping economies through seafarers' itineraries

Teaching includes courses on the anthropology of law, oceanic studies, and historical/contemporary piracy practices.