Independent Thinking and Leadership Qualities

An ample evidence of the capabilities of Dr. Markin for independent thinking is his carrying out a doctoral research project. His completion of a doctoral degree also serves as an indicator of his leaderships qualities. Doctoral study critically depends on extensive intellectual collaboration between supervisor and student as colleagues. One has to inter-personally manage the larger engagement of supervisory committee. It is imperative to adequately respond to external reviews to his submitted thesis. Doctoral education is a formal process with a particular stress on accountability. Integrity is an inseparable part of the work ethics that doctoral students have to demonstrate to maintain their good standing. On-going interaction with members of faculty, staff and personnel of university develop in doctoral students capability to work in large-scale organizations. Regular reviews and reports encourage taking initiative. Intellectual risks are part and parcel of the process of discovery that doctoal education is about. Informal networks form the increasingly recognized part of operation of multiple organizations. Community engagement not only builds bridges beyond the walls of the academia, but also widens the horizons of those working in its walls. In all these regards, Dr. Markin's record has been remarkable enough to ensure his international scholarly career.

For his doctoral dissertation, Dr. Markin has made an independent choice of Richard Münch, a German scholar whose work is yet to be widely known to English-speaking sociology. Such decisions involve risk-taking capabilities, independent judgement on the scholarly value of out-of-the-way theoretical works, and capability to defend one's choices both in writing and orally. As leadership involves making original choices and following through on the steps that follow from them, Dr. Markin can be said to possess the qualities that will enable him to lead a team project, especially one that has a high degree of originality. Given that his research project concentrates on the exploration of the paths of urban development that go beyond the paradigm of quantitative growth, Dr. Markin's previous career has well prepared him for this challenge since his record of participation in research projects as doctoral student has been intimately connected with thinking independently and taking charge of the tasks he was given to perform. Connecting areas of technical expertise, bodies of diverse theorization and collection of empirical data has been part of his graduate education at the Sociology and Anthropology Department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

As a social scientist that has accomplished a number of professional transitions from Ukrainian Studies to European Studies to Cultural Studies and, currently, to Metropolitan Studies, it is this rich interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary background that makes for more experienced and reflexive leaders of research teams. The wide choice of the subjects in which he decided to specialize and the international experience he has accumulated on a competitive basis speak for his independent thinking. His research experience has nurtured his leadership qualities that wait to be put to practice.