Get to know Serhiy Kovalchuk, ILead’s new Research Associate!
What are the responsibilities of your role at ILead and what initiative are you most looking forward to participating in?
I joined ILead as a research associate. I am currently helping with the design of a study examining the transition of engineering students from university to employment. We will be looking at how engineering graduates navigate a competitive labour market and how they adjust to the workplace. This project is the second phase of a larger ILead study aimed at investigating how engineers learn to lead. I am excited about this project and look forward to contributing to it because there is not much research in that area in the Canadian context. Given my personal research interests in citizenship education, I would be interested in inquiring into engineering students’ conceptions of citizenship. Research shows that individuals across different professional fields think of citizenship differently, so I would be curious to know how engineering students conceive of it. Knowledge of their conceptions can help us understand what social and political roles engineers as citizens can play in our communities.
You have recently completed your PhD at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), how do you think your research and education there will influence your role here at ILead?
At OISE I took part in different research projects which helped me to sharpen my skills in reviewing literature, designing studies, and collecting and analyzing data. These skills are currently proving very helpful in the development of our new study. Also, as I said, my academic and research background is in citizenship education, of which leadership is an inseparable part. I hope that my knowledge in this area will be helpful both for ILead’s programming and research.
What do you think is the most valuable experience you have participated in and how do you think it has impacted your point of view on leadership?
In 2006-2007, I was an exchange student at Eastern Michigan University, USA. While I was there, I took part in a six-day training session offered by the LeaderShape Institute which had a profound impact on me. It made me realize that we can contribute to the well-being of our communities and societies through our daily, individual, and collective actions. Many people do not think about this in terms of leadership. But for me it is a salient example of leadership: you can do something to improve your own life and those of others in an ethical manner.
What is one thing you would take on a desert island?
One thing. That’s difficult. Can we modify this question to include at least three things? If so, I would take with me a box of matches, hammock, and one or two books. And, I hope that there would be some fresh water and lots of fruits on the island 🙂
-Michael Sabatini