Geographical features of foreign students’ adaptation in Russia

In the face of growing risks in Russia’s demographic situation, the attraction of foreign students to higher education institutions is seen as an important resource for replenishing the human capital. The article analyzes the dynamics and geography of the origin of foreign students in Russia. It reveals the main trends in the distribution of foreign students by sending countries, as well as the territorial disparity of Russian regions in terms of foreign students’ enrollment. The prestige of Russian universities is quite high for natives of Asian and African countries. The geography of migration flow in metropolitan and large regional universities is quite diverse. However, in smaller regional universities, foreign students from one country prevail. Regional universities enroll students with lower school-leaving examination’ scores compared to metropolitan universities. An increasing share of foreign students in regional universities is obvious. Based on the data collected during focus groups and narrative interviews in several Russian universities, the country specifics of decision-making in choosing Russia for education were identified, as well as the ways and forms of adaptation processes and possible trajectories of life after graduation. The analysis of the empirical material made it possible to identify five main behavioral models of international students’ adaptation. The models took into account countries of origin, daily experience and social interaction with the host community. The most promising “demographic resource” is students from the Central Asian countries. An expert survey based on semi-structured interview of university staff working with international students in six regions of Russia allowed clarifying the main problems and identifying ways to solve them. The hottest challenges of foreign students’ adaptation are poor language proficiency and inadequate intercultural communication skills.     

1. Adaptaciya i integraciya migrantov v Rossii: vyzovy, realii, indikatory [Adaptation and integration of migrants in Russia: challenges, realities, indicators], V.I. Mukomel’ et al. (avt.), Moscow, FNSC RAS Publ., 2022, 400 p. (In Russian)

2. Aref’ev A.L., Maksimenko A.F. Afrika kak perspektivnyj postavshhik studentov na mirovoj rynok obrazovanija (opyt obuchenija afrikancev v SSSR i RF) [Africa as a promising supplier of students to the world education market (the experience of teaching Africans in the USSR and the Russian Federation)], Obrazovanie i nauka v Rossii: sostojanie i potencial razvitija, 2018, no. 3, p. 409–415. (In Russian)

3. Baranov A.S. Migranty-studenty i studenty-migranty: adaptacija inokul’turnyh migrantov v rossijskih vuzah [Migrant students and student migrants: adaptation of foreign cultural migrants in Russian universities], Uchenyezapiski Komsomol’skogo-na-Amure gosudarstvennogo tehnicheskogo universiteta, 2017, no. 11–2(30), p. 83– 88. (In Russian)

4. Beklenishheva M.V. Inostrannye studenty v sovetskih vuzah v 1940–1980-e gg.: problemy adaptacii i vzaimodejstvija (na materialah Sverdlovskoj oblasti) [Foreign Students in Soviet Universities in the 1940s–1980s: Problems of Adaptation and Interaction (Based on Materials from the Sverdlovsk Region)], Chelovecheskij capital, 2021, no. 4(148), p. 42–57, DOI: 10.25629/HC.2021.04.03. (In Russian)

5. Belozerov V.S., Shhitova N.A., Chihichin V.V., Solov’ev I.A. Inostrannye studenty na Severnom Kavkaze: regional’nye razlichija i problemy adaptacii (na primere Severo-Kavkazskogo federal’nogo universiteta) [Foreign Students in the North Caucasus: Regional Differences and Problems of Adaptation (on the example of the North Caucasian Federal University)], Nauka. Innovacii. Tehnologii, 2017, no. 4, p. 79–92. (In Russian)

6. Gusejn-zade R.G., Derevyanchenko A.A. Inostrannye studenty v rossijskih vuzah [International students in Russian universities], Znanie. Ponimanie. Umenie, 2021, no. 1, p. 139–156, DOI: 10.17805/zpu.2021.1.10. (In Russian)

7. Lebedeva T.V. Osobennosti sovremennoj mezhdunarodnoj obrazovatel’noj immigracii v rossijskih regionah [Features of modern international educational immigration in Russian regions], Problemy razvitiya territorii, 2024, vol. 28, no. 1. p. 132–146, DOI: 10.15838/ ptd.2024.1.129.9. (In Russian)

8. Lepshokova Z.Kh. Vzaimnaya akkul’turaciya migrantov i prinimayushchego naseleniya: modeli, meto-diki, klyuchevye issledovaniya i vyzovy [Mutual acculturation of migrants and the host population: models, methods, key studies and challenges], Social’naya psihologiya i obshchestvo, 2022, vol. 13, no. 2, p. 55–73, DOI: 10.17759/ sps.2022130205. (In Russian)

9. Michurina F.Z., Fotina O.V. Tendencii obrazovatel’noj migracii v sostave konstruktivnyh napravlenij razvitija vysshej shkoly [Educational migration trends as part of constructive directions in the development of higher education], Geographical bulletin, 2019, no. 2(49), p. 56–66, DOI: 10.17072/2079-7877-2019-2-56-66. (In Russian)

10. Muhametshina N.S., Kostyukova E.I., Paren’kova O.R. Social’naya adaptaciya inostrannyh studentov: opyt rossijskih vuzov [Social adaptation of foreign students: the experience of Russian universities], Izvestiya Samarskogo nauchnogo centra Rossijskoj akademii nauk. Istoricheskie nauki, 2021, vol. 3, no. 4, p. 44–51, DOI: 10.37313/2658-4816-2021-3-4-44-51. (In Russian)

11. Rostovskaya T.K., Vasil’eva E.N. Privlechenie v vuzy obrazovatel’nyh migrantov: obzor institucional’nyh resursov [Attracting educational migrants to universities: an overview of institutional resources], Ekonomicheskie i social’nye peremeny: fakty, tendencii, prognoz, 2023, vol. 16, no. 5, p. 230–246, DOI: 10.15838/ esc.2023.5.89.13. (In Russian)

12. Rjazancev S.V. Vidit li migracionnaja politika Rossii cheloveka? (Antropologicheskoe izmerenie rossijskoj migracionnoj politiki) [Does Russia’s migration policy see a person? (Anthropological dimension of Russian migration policy)], Vestnik Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta, Istorija, 2019, no. 59, p. 167–177, DOI: 10.17223/19988613/59/22. (In Russian)

13. Rjazancev S.V., Rostovskaja T.K., Skorobogatova V.I., Bezverbnyj V.A. Mezhdunarodnaja akademicheskaja mobil’nost’ v Rossii: tendencii, vidy, gosudarstvennoe stimulirovanie [International Academic Mobility in Russia: Trends, Types, State Stimulation], Jekonomika regiona, 2019, vol. 15, vyp. 2, p. 420-435, DOI: 10.17059/2019-2-9. (In Russian)

14. Salin P.B., Jushkov I.V. Sovetskij opyt raboty s inostrannymi studentami: geopoliticheskij aspect [Soviet experience of working with foreign students: a geopolitical aspect], Vestnik Finansovogo universiteta. Gumanitarnye nauki, 2019, no. 9(6), p. 14–17, DOI: 10.26794/2226-7867-2019-9-6-14-17. (In Russian)

15. Sklyarov E.S. Uroven’ i harakter sociokul’turnoj adaptacii inostrannyh studentov v rossijskom regione [The level and nature of socio-cultural adaptation of foreign students in the Russian region], Izvestiya TulGU. Gumanitarnye nauki, 2023, no. 3, p. 152–164, DOI: 10.24412/2071-6141-2023-3-152-164. (In Russian)

16. Solov’ev I.A., Frajer P.D., Shhitova N.A., Belozerov V.S. Prostranstvennyj analiz mezhdunarodnoj studencheskoj immigracii v Rossii [Spatial analysis of international student immigration in Russia], InterKarto. InterGIS, 2021, vol. 27, no. 4, p. 402–414, DOI: 10.35595/2414-9179-2021-4-27-402-414. (In Russian)

17. Sopnev N.V., Solov’ev I.A. Kartograficheskoe obespechenie issledovanija territorial’nyh osobennostej studencheskoj immigracii v Rossii [Cartographic support for the study of territorial features of student immigration in Russia], InterKarto. InterGIS, 2022, vol. 28, ch. 2, p. 126–145, DOI: 10.35595/2414-9179-2022-2-28-126-145. (In Russian)

18. Strielkovski V., Kiseleva L.S., Sinyova A.Yu. Tendencii mezhdunarodnoj obrazovatel’noj migracii (na primere Finlyandii) [Trends in international educational migration (using the example of Finland)], Integraciya obrazovaniya, 2020, vol. 24, no. 1, p. 32–49, DOI: 10.15507/1991-9468.098.024.202001.032-049. (In Russian)

19. Taisheva V.V. Obrazovatel’naja migracija v smyslovom prostranstve politicheskoj nauki: obzor teoreticheskih podhodov [Educational migration in the semantic space of political science: a review of theoretical approaches], Vestnik Rossijskogo universiteta druzhby narodov, Serija: Politologija, 2020, vyp. 22, no. 3, p. 367–386, DOI: 10.22363/2313-1438-2020-22-3-367-386. (In Russian)

20. Hadzhaev Z.Sh. Obrazovatel’naya immigraciya v Rossiyu: sushchnost’ i problemy adaptacii [Educational immigration to Russia: the essence and problems of adaptation], Migraciya kak resurs social’no-ekonomicheskogo i demograficheskogo razvitiya, Seriya “Demografiya. Sociologiya. Ekonomika”, 2019, vol. 5, no. 3, p. 380–386. (In Russian)

21. Shumilova A.S. Formirovanie i razvertyvanie sistemy inostrannyh studentov v vuzah Sovetskogo Sojuza [Formation and deployment of a system of foreign students in the universities of the Soviet Union], Zhurnal rossijskih issledovanij, 2022, no. 7, p. 53–65, DOI: 10.48068/rusad.1126681. (In Russian)

22. Chen M., Howell J., Smith J. Best and brightest? The impact of student visa restrictiveness on who attends college in the US, Labour Economics, 2021, vol. 84, 70 р., DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2023.102385.

23. Lee C.S. Global linguistic capital, global cultural capital: International student migrants in China’s two-track international education market, International Journal of Educational Development, 2019, vol. 67, p. 94–102.

24. Matera C., Catania M.A. Correlates of international students’ intergroup intentions and adjustment: The role of metastereotypes and intercultural communication apprehension, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2021, vol. 82(1), p. 288–297, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.04.011.

25. Sarmiento A.V., Pérez M.V., Bustos C. et al. Inclusion profile of theoretical frameworks on the study of sociocultural adaptation of international university students, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2019, vol. 70, p. 19–41. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2019.02.004.

26. Yerken A., Nguyen Luu L.A. A stepping stone to the “West”:Academic adaptation of international students from post-Soviet countries in Hungary, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2022, vol. 89, p. 183–194, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2022.06.005.

27. Web source

28. Majer A. Rossija zanjala shestoe mesto v mire po chislu inostrannyh studentov [Russia ranked sixth in the world in terms of the number of foreign students], URL: https:// www.vedomosti.ru/society/articles/2023/03/13/966139-rossiya-zanyala-6-e-mesto-po-chislu-inostrannih-studentov (access date 22.03.2023).