Linguistic and Social Construction of National University Identity: Kazakh and Russian Universities’ Mission Statements

Abstract

The paper discusses linguistic aspects of the discursive construction of university identity. First it sets out the social context of the transformation of missions and functions of higher education in the knowledge society. It reflects contemporary changes of institutional models of higher education. The modern university might be described as a research-based and entrepreneurial university. Mission statements of 35 Russian Federal and National Research Universities and of 12 leading Kazakh Universities are analyzed as illustrative examples of discursive practice. The second objective of the study is to show how discourse analysis may contribute to interpreting the social construction of university identity. We use discourse as a form of social practice. The connection between text structures and social practice is analyzed as being mediated by discursive practice. The study showed that discourse analysis in combination with quantitative methods was an appropriate approach to interpret changes in processes of social and cultural change affecting contemporary transformation in higher education. Discourse analysis is an important method to identify new significant features of a national university. Universities basic functions are connected with implementing national policy for social and economic developments, social constructive role, innovative research, and commercial application. Linguistic choices are a key element in construction of social/ discursive identity. In the semantic space of texts, values are formed and disseminated. Axiological semantics is a means of strengthening a positive mentality that of a knowledge society, making it socially shaped.