This article pursues a novel endeavor by anchoring the study of nation branding in the context of multinational federal systems. Through an examination of the manner in which international education strategies are used to cultivate images of “nation” in Canada and Quebec, the study underlines how the “politics of recognition” at the heart of Canada/Quebec relations play out in the international education sphere. The results point to the significance of policy effectiveness for the “politics of recognition,” contributing to the literature on majority–minority tensions, which tends to highlight the symbolic role of policy control as opposed to the realization of said policies. The research also sheds light on the potential interplay between the political autonomy of minority nations and their symbolic recognition, by highlighting how the provision of policy control can work to substantiate the (external) recognition of their distinct nation status.
