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

Oct 15, 2026

A critical analysis examines the University of Ottawa’s Internationalization Strategy Report through TWAIL, arguing that the strategy suppresses global unevenness and avoids pedagogical debate while reproducing neoliberal globalization rationality. It contends that liberal multiculturalism obstructs marginal cultural narratives and that the curriculum’s internationalization is not prioritized, reflecting a neocolonial bias. Alternatives include administrative recommendations, stronger public debate, and using diversity to guide research funding.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Critical TWAIL-based critique of the strategy

Institutional and methodological context of the report

Recommendations and policy areas covered

Positionality and theoretical grounding

Gaps and proposed directions

A Critical Discourse Analysis of the University of Ottawa’s Internationalization Strategy Report from a Third World Perspective Vinicius Alves Barreto da Silva Univeristy of Ottawa Abstract This paper offers a critical analysis of the Internationalization Strategy Report of the University of Ottawa, according to the Third World Approach to International Law (TWAIL) methodology. This article argues that the Strategy silences global unevenness, avoids any pedagogical discussion, and reproduces the neoliberal rationality about globalization in its discourse. 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, the Strategy Report does not consider the reproduction of developed countries’ academic canons and the obstacles to the incorporation of knowledge produced in Third World countries, which indicates no concern 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. Keywords: critical discourse analysis, globalization, internationalization of high education institutions, TWAIL Delivered in May 2017, the University of Ottawa’s Internalization Strategy Report represents an important effort towards an encompassing comprehension of globalization and the role played by higher education institutions in contemporary global society. The Strategy Report also discusses the specific positions of Canada and its comparative advantage and how Canadian universities are exploring opportunities to promote a proper internationalization policy. Besides this contextual analysis, the Report conducts a deep literature review regarding internationalization of higher education institutions and applies empirical methods—semi-structured interviews and focus groups—in order to select the best theoretical approach and methodologies to grasp professors’, staff, and students’ perceptions as well as current practices on the topic. Due to the Strategy Report’s length, conceptual depth, and the variety of recommendations, the Strategy Report is one of the most encompassing documents about internationalization produced by a Canadian university. Internationalization strategies of Canadian universities, such as the Western University (2014), the University of Alberta (2016), the University of Manitoba (2015), and the University of Calgary (2013), vary from 22 to 32 pages and have the appearance of a marketing piece. Meanwhile, the uOttawa’s report presents a policy-oriented academic report with 53 pages that are complemented by five pages of a shorter version that focuses on the article’s key elements. The Strategy Report introducesa total of 41 recommendations in six areas of relevance, such as: Organizational Structure and Governance; International Student Recruitment; Student Services; diversity and inclusion; Study Abroad and Outbound Mobility; Research, Knowledge Mobilization and Partnerships; and Internationalization of the Curriculum. Those recommendations are still supplemented by 11 more suggestions that the University should adopt to build a more comprehensive approach to internationalization. Those recommendations are the current binding core of the internationalization policy adopted by the University, which can be considered the norm that regulates the issue so far. From a critical analysis of the Strategy’s discourse, this article brings up some criticism(s) on how the Strategy Report fails to address the circulation of knowledge and the reproduction of canons within a multiculturalist discourse, and how the global unevenness keeps framing researching and teaching-learning processes. This reading emerges from a specific positionality: it is rooted

FAQs

What methodology guides the paper’s analysis of the University of Ottawa’s strategy report?

The paper uses the Third World Approach to International Law (TWAIL) methodology to critique the report’s discourse and implications.

What does the paper argue the strategy report fails to address?

It argues the report silences global unevenness and lacks pedagogical discussion, while not adequately considering how knowledge circulates and how dominant academic canons are reproduced.

What alternatives are proposed to address the identified issues?

The paper proposes administrative recommendations, strengthening the public debate, and treating diversity as a criterion for research funding.

Oct 15, 2026

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