ABSTRACTThe principal goal of this paper is to examine the transformation of the university policies in Azerbaijan as they are affected by UK and USA university discourses. I develop a framework that delineates modal verbs of very strong versus neutral stance and classify them according to (a) American and British Englishes, and according to (b) traditional and student-centred educational approaches. The above-mentioned categories of modal verbs are studied through various university documentations with a preliminary aim to analyse the frequency of modal verbs’ occurrence and the cultural and ideological values they denote regarding power relationships. Based on the findings, the research provides a tentative theory of the effectiveness of modalities in interpreting educational policies, in particular with regards to the empowerment or manipulation discourses.