Englishization policy distraction in the internationalization of higher education in Saudi Arabia

Deploying what we term 'Englishization policy distraction' in the internationalization of higher education as both a theoretical and analytical concept, this paper frames and examines how the epistemic violence of internationalization of the HE is bypassed and invisibilized through Englishization policy and English medium education in Saudi Arabia. To assess the extent of this issue, data were gathered from analysis of local and global media outlets, government policy documents, Ministry of Education news releases, university news releases, and speeches/interviews with officials. The findings revealed that (i) framing, (ii) naming, and (iii) gaming are common distractors of a genuine internationalization of HE alongside its 'appealing' rhetoric about diversity and inclusion. Collectively, these three distractors together with the terror of their performativity may result in enforcing an eclipse of reason. This paper further concludes that due to contemporary conditions/pressures of neoliberalism and globalization within HE, the politics of distraction may not be optional or intentional but rather a framework that the state and universities craft to navigate their education policies and strategies.