Potential and Quality of Lasting Professional Integration

Given the outstanding qualifications and high potential of Dr. Markin, his professional integration at the Center for German Studies of the European Forum of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is expected to take place successfully. Over the course of four years of his planned work contract at the Center for German Studies, the career development of Dr. Markin will be promoted with regard to his chances of finding a tenure track position in Israel, his participation in the Europe-wide network of academic cooperation, and his experience as a researcher in the emerging fields of metropolitan studies and sociology of space. The Center for German Studies opens opportunities to accumulate valuable post-doctoral and research experience in the context of numerous frameworks that bring together graduate students, guest lecturers and intensive curricula into an environment that allows building an interdisciplinary profile in existing and new areas of research and instruction. Many experiemental courses, instruction frameworks and educational media are put into practice at the center. Moreover, international seminars that bring scholars from Europe to Jerusalem will constitute another layer of academic exchange and multidisciplinary dialogue that will speak especially directly to the scholarly objectives of the research project of Dr. Markin.

That Israel has joined the European Framework for Research and Development of the European Union opens plural opportunities for Israeli researchers to further their career on the international, rather than on national only, scale with much greater ease. A recognized leader in the sphere of exact sciences and applied research, Israel is yet to develop a critical mass of research initiatives in the social sciences and humanities. In contrast, Germany stands out in the number of research projects in sociology, anthropology and regional studies that from now on Israeli researchers too have an access to within the European researcher mobility framework. For many of these opportunities, a prior experience of holding Marie Curie Grants is a prerequisite. Thus, the reintegration of Dr. Markin at the Center for German Studies will represent his acquisition of experiences within a Europe-wide network of research centers and centers of excellence that will stand him in good stead in the future. His accumulation of research experience over the course of his work contract will open the doors for Dr. Markin to apply for many other research foundations both in Israel and in Europe that allow pursuing independent or university-affiliated research before a long term contract is obtained, such as that of German Research Society (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)) that conceives of its mission in increasingly international terms.

This will open to Dr. Markin avenues of participation in programs for post-doctoral students, such as DFG Emmy Noether Program, that support independent research programs that have a dimension of collaboration with German universities and research centers. From this perspective, Dr. Markin has high chances of realizing his potential for a research career in the areas of urban, cultural and policy studies, given that in Israel they only begin to develop as subjects of individual and collaborative research with the participation of the European Union and its member states. Dr. Markin's focus on German social theory and meteropolitan studies gives his career a head-start from the Center for German Studies.