Farid Shukurlu
Bachelor’s in International Relations and European Politics, graduated in 2023.
Coming from Azerbaijan, currently working as International Lawyer and Senior Policy Analyst
interviewed by Michaela Nespěchalová, December 2025
1. When you think back to your bachelor’s studies in International Relations and European Politics, which moments or experiences most influenced the path you’re on today?
From an early age, I was strongly motivated to pursue a career in diplomacy and politics. Studying at Masaryk University provided me with a world-class education in an environment where I felt both academically and culturally comfortable, particularly given the positive bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic. As an Azerbaijani, travelling between my home city of Baku and Brno was relatively straightforward, aided by direct flight connections between Baku and Prague.
When I reflect on my time in Brno, I most vividly remember the Faculty of Social Studies building and my dormitory life. It was during this period that I formed one of the most enduring friendships of my life with Vasco, a fellow member of our IREP cohort. That friendship remains deeply meaningful to me and is truly irreplaceable.
Academically, the programme was intensive and demanding, yet highly effective. It offered rigorous training in political theory alongside the contemporary political realities of Europe, significantly strengthening my analytical and writing skills, which I continue to rely on in my professional work today.
2. From lecture halls in Brno to working as an international lawyer and senior policy analyst, how did your studies at FSS help bridge that journey?
The IREP programme is structured in a way that allows students to refine their career paths regardless of their initial interests. In my case, I developed a strong passion for international law, shaped by my background in a country whose territories were formally occupied. Growing up in a state with limited international representation, despite four United Nations Security Council resolutions condemning the occupation and demanding the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Karabakh, instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility to raise international awareness of what my people had endured.
I am myself a descendant of refugees who were forcibly expelled from present-day Armenia in 1988. This personal history has reinforced my belief that international law is essential for securing justice and enabling displaced communities to return to the land of their forefathers. At the same time, I remain optimistic about recent legal and political developments between Baku and Yerevan. I am proud to say that the era of war has come to an end, and that peace is now being pursued and consolidated.
Masaryk University also offered a high degree of academic flexibility. I was able to select courses covering a wide range of conflicts and geopolitical contexts that had previously been unfamiliar to me. This experience profoundly shaped my development as a policy scholar. Through rigorous training in argumentation and critical analysis, I learned to distinguish sound reasoning from flawed claims, skills that I refined during my studies at MUNI and continue to apply in my work today.
3. What ways of thinking or analytical tools you gained during your studies still shape how you approach international law and policy work today?
The most important principle of critical thinking I learned is straightforward: listen to all perspectives with an open mind before forming or expressing a judgement. International law is inherently complex, and legal questions are often inseparable from personal and historical experiences. Whether working with states, embassies, or individuals, practitioners inevitably engage with actors who hold diverse values and viewpoints.
In the field of policy-making, I contribute to several platforms and think tanks as an independent scholar. In this role, it is essential to have a clear understanding of one’s principles and the positions one is prepared to defend. Masaryk University provided me with a world-class education, encompassing not only diplomatic etiquette and professional conduct, but also advanced writing and analytical skills. Equally important, it helped me clarify my professional objectives and the form of advocacy in which I choose to engage.
I have always been confident in where I stand, even when that position is unpopular. I believe that principled consistency and intellectual integrity are essential to meaningful engagement in international law and policy, and that standing on the right side of history ultimately matters more than short-term approval.
4. Was there a course, project, or lecturer that sparked your interest in international law or changed how you understand global politics?
One of the most influential courses I took at Masaryk University was US Foreign Policy towards Israel, which quickly became my favourite. The course allowed me to specialise in the close and multifaceted relationship between Washington, DC and Jerusalem, and it played a decisive role in shaping my academic focus.
Since completing the course, I have authored numerous articles analysing how the United States and Israel engage in military cooperation against Iran and its regional proxy networks. This course served as the catalyst for my interest in what I regard as a unique and enduring strategic partnership that is both mutually beneficial and strategically consequential.
The bipartisan nature of US foreign policy towards its closest ally in the Middle East reflects a sustained American commitment to democratic principles, regional security, economic development, and military cooperation. This continuity across administrations underscores the depth and resilience of the US–Israel relationship and its central role in the Middle East’s security architecture.
5. Can you recall a moment when you realised that what you learned at FSS was directly applicable to real-world policy or legal challenges?
One of the most striking moments when I recognised the direct applicability of my studies occurred in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During my International Security course, we examined contemporary warfare, emerging military technologies, and the changing nature of conflict, including asymmetric warfare and unmanned systems.
As the war unfolded, the extensive use of drones for reconnaissance, targeting, and strategic strikes closely mirrored the theoretical frameworks and case studies we had analysed in class. Concepts such as deterrence failure, escalation management, and the operational impact of new technologies, previously discussed in an academic setting, were suddenly playing out in real time on the European continent.
Although the context was deeply troubling, this moment underscored the practical relevance of the training I received at FSS and demonstrated how rigorous academic analysis can provide essential tools for understanding and responding to real-world security and legal challenges.
6. If a current IREP student told you they aspire to work in international law or policy, what advice would you give them based on your own experience?
My advice would be to approach international law and policy with a strong sense of realism. While the ideals of a rules-based international order remain important, recent developments have exposed its growing fragility. The precedents set by cases such as Kosovo, and more starkly Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have significantly undermined confidence in the consistent application and enforcement of international legal norms.
We are living in increasingly turbulent times, where power politics, security imperatives, and military realities often take precedence over legal formalism. For students aspiring to become government advisers or international lawyers, it is therefore essential to focus on areas of law most relevant to contemporary conflict, particularly the law of armed conflict and international security law.
Expertise in these fields provides the most practical tools for understanding how states actually behave in times of crisis and prepares future practitioners to operate effectively in policy environments where legal reasoning must engage directly with strategic and political realities.