Nazih has a PhD in Writing Studies from McGill University. His dissertation focused on the social, cultural, and writing experiences of international graduate students in Canadian universities. His research interests include: rhetorical genre theory, writing across the curriculum/in the disciplines, literacy transfer, doctoral supervision, identity construction, and intercultural rhetoric. Nazih’s professional experience includes teaching academic writing in the U.S and Canada, translating, tutoring, and developing writing workshops.

WRDS 150 Research Area: Globalization, Identity, and Literacy for the 21st Century

This section of WRDS 150 focuses on the relationship among globalization, identity formation, and the literacy practices needed in the 21st century. In today’s technologically-interconnected world, people, ideologies, food habits, fashion, and movies flow easily through borders with a speed unforeseen in the recorded human history. Due to the shrinkage of our world—which has been called a global village—we are faced with questions concerning the knowledges or literacies required to succeed in a highly competitive world, and the impact of these knowledges on our own identities. The focus on the 21st century literacies operates in conjunction with crucial life literacies, such as health literacy, ecoliteracy, second/additional language literacies, religious literacy, financial literacies, and even food literacy studies. As a result of these multiliteracies, individuals in the 21st century are now required to possess and use a variety of literacy competencies that span across various academic disciplines. Individuals’ literacies are thus multiple, dynamic, adaptable, and multidimensional. Due to the significance of these literacies on identity formation, researchers, including novice university students, explore literacies to improve knowledge transmission at every stage of individuals’ lives