Imar Koutchoukali: in times of profound change, we need humanities scholars

The educational journey of Imar Koutchoukali, Science Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been an impressive voyage through different cultures and universities. 

Above all, he values the skills he acquired during his doctoral studies at the University of Tartu, which help him make well-informed decisions and understand major transformations in a world on the brink of fundamental change.

These skills also prove invaluable in the Ministry’s Policy Planning Department, where Imar serves as a bridge between academia and the Ministry. As Science Adviser, he identifies issues of strategic importance to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and explores how researchers can contribute to making foreign policy more evidence-based.

In Imar’s view, the greatest value of a doctorate in the humanities lies in developing the ability to make thoughtful decisions.

“We are living through a truly transformative period. The geopolitical changes taking place today are greater than any we have seen over the past 80 years. This is forcing countries to find new ways of shaping foreign policy. It seems to me that humanities scholars are particularly well equipped to view and interpret major changes from a long-term perspective.”

Imar believes that, especially now, with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, we need people who can interpret technology and explain its broader impact on society.

“We use artificial intelligence every day, and we are already seeing its psychological effects on people. We need humanities scholars who, in psychologically challenging times, can provide not necessarily answers, but intellectual and emotional support,” he explains.

Music brought him to Estonia

According to Imar himself, the story of how a young man from the Netherlands ended up earning a doctorate in Estonia is rather romantic.

Initially, he had no connection to Estonia whatsoever. While studying for his bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies at Leiden University, he first came to Estonia in 2015 thanks to playing the mandolin. A friend invited him to the Kõpu Traditional Music Camp, followed by the Viljandi Folk Music Festival. His first encounters with Estonia and its culture left such a deep impression that he later decided to come here to study.

Imar earned his master’s degree at Tallinn University and studied linguistics in Tartu. In 2023, he defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Tartu’s School of Theology, where he examined linguistic and socio-political change in Late Antique South Arabia.

“At the very beginning of my bachelor’s studies, I happened to attend a party where a PhD student talked about his dissertation. I no longer remember exactly what he was researching – I think it was the economic history of Iraq – but it sounded so fascinating and full of promise that within a couple of weeks I realised I definitely wanted to pursue a PhD myself one day. I never let go of that idea. Looking back, it seems rather amusing, but at the same time my parents believed from the outset that academia was where I belonged,” Imar recalls.

A personal interest led to his doctoral research

For his doctoral dissertation, Imar focused on the linguistic, social and political changes that took place in South Arabia – present-day Yemen – before the emergence of Islam. He was particularly interested in understanding why a region with a well-established written tradition spanning centuries saw that tradition disappear almost overnight just before the rise of Islam.

Imar concluded that, before the emergence of Islam, a shared Arab identity was beginning to develop across the Arabian Peninsula. This process was closely linked to changes in language, writing and religion and helps explain the decline of South Arabia’s earlier written culture.

“My interest in this subject is very personal – my father was a Muslim. After the events of 11 September 2001, I began thinking more and more about what Islam really is. It seemed to me that the only honest way to search for an answer was through academic research, and that is how my interest in pre-Islamic Arabia and linguistics developed.”

A PhD as a time of personal growth and opportunity

For Imar, the greatest value of doctoral studies lies in the opportunities they provide.

“Thanks to my PhD, I have been able to study in Vienna and Venice, conduct fieldwork in Oman, and work with external supervisors whose support was crucial in producing high-quality research. At the same time, during my doctorate I came to realise that the more I learned, the more I understood how much I still did not know,” he says.

The period leading up to the defence of his dissertation was the most challenging stage of his doctoral studies, as years of work were finally coming to an end while the future remained uncertain.

“That was when all the familiar fears about being overqualified, limited job opportunities and whether there would be a place for me either inside or outside academia became very real,” he recalls.

In his view, pursuing a doctorate requires above all resilience and passion.

“I usually tell people considering a PhD that they first need to convince themselves that they are the right person to study that particular subject. It is also important to be psychologically prepared to devote four, five or even more years to it. For me, it was important to treat my doctorate like a regular job: turn up every day, do the work and maintain a steady routine,” Imar explains.

Although Imar admits that he often questioned both his abilities and his discipline, he believes it is essential to push through such doubts. His guiding principle is simple: the best doctoral dissertation is a finished dissertation.

A doctorate can open doors beyond academia

What Imar enjoys most about his work as Science Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is its dynamic nature and the people he works with.

“I like the fact that I work alongside exceptionally intelligent people. Most of my colleagues in the Policy Planning Department are diplomats who have spent 25 or 30 years at the Ministry. It is a privilege to sit next to people who have served in places such as China, Russia or the United States and to learn from their experience.”

Imar acknowledges, however, that researchers and diplomats sometimes speak rather different languages.

“Sometimes I have to remind diplomats that science is not like a vending machine: you cannot simply put money in, select a product and expect to get exactly what you ordered. Research is unpredictable, and it needs to remain creative,” he says.

What gives him the greatest satisfaction is helping to ensure that foreign policy decisions are genuinely grounded in research.

“If my work lightens my colleagues’ workload even a little, I consider that a great achievement,” Imar says.