Linguistic repertoires and scholarly integration: The role of international researchers in Brazilian academic production

The internationalisation of higher education in Brazil has emphasised outward mobility, with limited integration of international scholars into domestic academia. This study examines the linguistic profiles and academic output of foreign researchers funded by Brazil’s national research council, comparing them with Brazilian peers across eight disciplines using data from the national academic CV platform. Results show that international researchers’ contributions vary by field, with higher productivity in the “harder sciences.” While they bring greater linguistic diversity, language proficiency alone does not determine publication language. The study calls for inclusive policies and critical reflection on linguistic hierarchies in academia.