[twigs]

Well, yes. I was just thinking that a thesis advisor or committee would question old thinking. You would think that it would be somewhat obvious.

[Redbob]

"I was just thinking that a thesis advisor or committee would question old thinking."

Putin was a top KGB official: what thesis advisor would question him?

And BTW, "old" doesn't mean invalid in economics as in real sciences.
See for example Adam Smith.

[Californiajones]

"Thesis adviser" to a former KGB officer during the collapse of the old Soviet economy in the mid 90's? I think not. I think this is a big, state sponsored put up job to get Western looking credentials to fool foreign investors into funding Russian enterprise.