What do we mean when we talk about Argentine university internationalization in official document? Contributions from the field discourse analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the current debate on the notions of internationalization in different disciplines, on the basis of Discourse Analysis, and, in particular, Critical Discourse Analysis (FAIRCLOUGH, 2010, WODAK, 2000). To this aim, we analyze one specific institutional document: the declaration of Objectives and Policies and Actions corresponding to the Programa de Internacionalización de la Educación Superior y Cooperación Internacional Universitaria (PIESCI), Secretaría de Políticas Universitarias (SPU) from the Ministry of Education of Argentina. Preliminary results indicate clearly marked conceptual and ideological stances encoded in the internationalization objectives of this institution, which may relate to clearly biased socio-cultural purposes and to institutional identities characterized as recipients of institutional benefits. These meanings are encoded in “opaque” manners in this public document and should be unveiled to constitute evidence to which policy writers may resort when writing policies in the area of High Education Internationalization and cooperation.