A Critical Discourse Analysis of the University of Ottawa’s Internationalization Strategy Report from a Third World perspective

Abstract

This paper analyzes the Internationalization Strategy of the University of Ottawa according to the Third World Approach to International Law (TWAIL) methodology. It argues that the Strategy silences global unevenness, avoids any pedagogical discussion and reproduces the neoliberal rationality about globalization. Also, the liberal multiculturalism evoked in the Strategy hinders the incorporation of marginal cultural narratives and it is driven by the promotion of economic assets for the university. As the internationalization of the curriculum is not prioritized, it does not consider the reproduction of developed countries’ academic canons and the obstacles to the incorporation of knowledge produced in Third World countries, indicating no concerns with the prevalence of a neocolonial bias. Alternatives to balance this situation are offered, such as administrative recommendations, the strengthening of the public debate, and the attention to diversity as a criterion for research funding.