Search

This paper explores the relationship between cultural identity and foreign policy formation by conducting a qualitative analysis of Malaysia. Different from the existing literature that focuses on a leader's personality and international factors for explaining foreign policy formation, this paper contends that cultural identity matters for the making of foreign policy. Focusing on the trajectories of Malaysia's foreign policy over time, the paper argues that Islamic identity serves as an essential norm as well as a main guideline for the decision makers of Malaysia's foreign policy. The case studies of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (1990-1991), the War on Terror (2001-2003), and the Moro Muslim conflict in the Southern Philippines (1969-2012) support my argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how internationalisation of higher education institutions is reflected through their mission and vision statements by comparatively analysing the mission and vision statements of selected universities in Malaysia and the Philippines. To carry out the study, twenty (20) mission and vision statements of public and private universities in Malaysia and the Philippines were collected and analysed, underlined by the importance of textual agency in policy orientations. The framework used in analysing the mission and vision statements includes the analysis of textual practice and discourse practice. The micro-level analysis of the discourse focused on the textual practice, such as vocabulary, grammar, and text structure. Moreover, the genre and style of text were also analysed. The findings of the study reveal that the mission and vision statements of universities in Malaysia and the Philippines align with respective country policies, and have something in common as far as the concept of internationalisation in higher education is concerned. It is also evident that universities in both countries emphasise the importance of producing global and competent graduates, and obtaining international recognition and world-class education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]