Socio-cultural barriers to the adaptation of foreign students to Russian higher education

Interest in the problem of socio-cultural adaptation of foreign students is growing due to intensification of the processes of internationalization of education, global competition of universities, and increase in the export of educational services. The purpose of the study is to analyze the types and causes of the emergence of socio-cultural barriers to adaptation of foreign students in the context of higher education in Russia; to work out recommendations for their reduction. The theoretico-methodological basis of the research is the ABC model of culture shock, phenomenological approach to the analysis of intercultural communications (ICC) in the global world. The socio-cultural barriers to the adaptation are considered through the prism of the lack of ICC resources increasing the manifestations of culture shock, and first of all—social perception. Based on the synthesis of studies by Russian and foreign authors, the article examines the causes of the formation of deficiencies in the linguistic, paralinguistic, cognitive and behavioral competencies necessary for successful socio-cultural adaptation of foreign students. The primary materials are the results of the monitoring ^Assessment of the quality of education at the Financial University» conducted by the focus group method at the Financial University in the 2020-2021 academic year. To improve the socio-cultural adaptation of foreign students to education, the authors propose telecollaboration. The conclusions and recommendations given in the article can be used in the field of education for children and adults, including additional and inclusive education (students with disabilities, migrant students, etc.).

Academic mobility development among university students during COVID-19 pandemic

The aim of the article is to study the academic mobility of students in the context of internationalization of education, exchange of experiences and gaining additional knowledge and skills between participants in the process of academic mobility. The research methodology is to use methods of questionnaires, surveys, interviews among students to study the prospects, advantages, disadvantages and opportunities of academic mobility. The results of the study cover the internal and external mobility of university students and provide an opportunity to assess the dynamics of quantitative indicators of international mobility. Factors influencing the academic mobility of students and graduate students are identified. The types of academic mobility that are the most common among university students are identified and the importance of academic mobility for the success of student learning and future career development is clarified. The internationalization of higher education stimulates the quality of education, the diversity of education, and the free exchange of educational resources. This, in turn, generates opportunities for students to experience a "global village" along with an appreciation for other cultures - one of the many "hidden" benefits.

EXPERIENCE OF INTERNATIONALIZATION OF EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURE AND TRANSPORT

The need to develop educational programs in the field of agromechatronics programs, including international interaction, is justified. The results of the international summer online schools in the framework of the project ″Erasmus+″ № 585596-EPP-1-2017-1-DE-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP are presented: the geography of participants, their reviews. The features of the developed Master Program “Technical operation of transport and technological machines in the agro-industrial complex” are given.

Management of the national education system under the conditions of globalization

The internationalization of education is a requirement for the survival and adaptation of higher education institutions to the conditions of globalization. The internationalization of educational programs involves attracting and training students from outside the borders of nation states; elaboration and implementation of academic mobility programs for teachers and students; organization of scientific and academic events, where the exchange of good practices takes place - characterizes the training opportunities for students and graduates of higher education institutions who could work in conditions of professional mobility and labor migration. The authors in this study aim to describe some educational policies, practiced by developed countries have international higher education systems, based on innovative models.

Investigating translation trainees’ self-perceived competence

Pushed by the increasing internationalization of education and recent economic dynamics, training programs are shifting their focus to acquiring competences and know-how through real-life materials to enhance learners’ employability and access to the work market. Moreover, recent research has called for the implementation of editing/revision content in translation programs, overcoming the assumed distance between translation and editing/revision professions. In light of social constructivism and process-oriented pedagogical trends in translation training, an intensive twenty-hour seminar was designed and piloted in a Master’s degree program in Specialized Translation with the intent of increasing students’ awareness of the translation process, including translation revision and their sense of perceived competence. Rasch analysis of pre- and post-test questionnaires detected positive changes in students’ self-perceived proficiency in translation, translation revision, and editing, with critical implications for the usefulness of process-oriented, realistic approaches integrating both translation and editing/revision content in translation training programs.

Features of the Development of General Professional Competencies and Professional Identity of Students in the Context of Internationalization of Education

The use of the competence approach in education, the internationalization of the educational environment requires an understanding of the students' attitude to the formed competencies, the peculiarities of the formation of professional identity in the process of study and the factors influencing this. All these phenomena are directly related to the educational motivation of future specialists. The paper examines the ideas of undergraduate students of different courses from Russia and China in the field of personnel management about the importance and degree of formation of their general professional competencies in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard for Higher Education, and examines the features of professional identity. It was noted that the influence of cultural characteristics and mentality on the students' opinion about the significance and degree of formation of certain competencies exceeded the influence of the duration of the training. The limitations of the method of determining the level of self-competence based on self-assessments are indicated. Recommendations are given for the organization of the educational process, taking into account the found patterns.

Internationalization of Education: La Peau de Сhagrin of the Russian Language

The article examines the processes of internationalization, provides information on the number of foreign students in various countries and in Russia, discusses the arguments for choosing the country for study by international students, including socio-cultural and linguistic preferences. The authors address the issues relating to the status of the Russian language in countries of the Central Asia region – the former republics of the Soviet Union. The article provides an information on the expansion of Western and Eastern countries into the educational system of these countries. The conclusion is made about the need for Russian universities to more actively enter the international market of educational services, especially in those areas where the Russian Federation has undeniable achievements (natural science fields of training, etc.).

International cooperation of Russian universities and academic mobility (based on self-examination reports)

The development of international cooperation along with the growing number of the participants of academic mobility are among the attributes of internationalization of education. Its positive effects are universally acknowledged, however take effort to be achieved. Based on the example of national research universities, the article examines the peculiarities of international activity and opportunities for the Russian universities to participate in the international academic mobility. Primary focus is given to the student international internships, which are considered as highly effective educational and mentoring practices. The theoretical framework for this research is comprised of a set of provisions that characterize international academic exchange as mutually beneficial interaction of different values, cultures, experience, knowledge, interests, and goals. The scientific novelty lies in introduction of the new empirical self-examination reports of the universities, use of various statistical data and rating results. The conclusion is made that international academic mobility has its own structure, pronounced geographical focus, and industry characteristics. Cooperation with individual foreign universities and enterprises, as well as with international university associations and branch associations is well developed and creates favorable environment for the advancement of international academic mobility. However, these opportunities are not used to the fullest, as testified by relatively low number of the Russian participants, prevalence of incoming flow vs outgoing, and unequal conditions for the capital and regional universities.

A Brief Analysis on the Development of Internationalization of Basic Education from “External” to “Internal”

In view of globalization, the internationalization of basic education has become a world trend. It is an important strategic tool for each country to actively deal with the challenges of globalization, and it is also the main way to improve the quality of education around the world. The development of the internationalization of basic education requires the active participation of all countries around the world, in which it will have an impact and influence on the educational development, educational concept, and teaching management of all countries. However, only by conforming to the historical and inevitable trend of the internationalization of education, understanding the actual situation of the country’s economic development, social development, and educational context, studying and implementing development strategies, as well as integrating healthy internationalization into the educational practice, then the internationalization of education can develop further so as to promote the rapid development of the whole world’s education cause.

Fear of Brain Drain: Russian Academic Community on Internationalization of Education

Emigration of skilled and able from Russia markedly increased in mid-2010s, thus pushing multiple Russian scholars to reassess the phenomenon, its definition, scope, consequences, and causes. This article found that the nexus between brain drain and internationalization of education plays an important role in the debate. By means of analysis of the texts of scholarly articles in Russian academic journals and of the transcripts of interviews with Russian educators directly involved in internationalization of education, this study found that despite most representatives of Russian academic community perceive emigration as a concern for the nation, they simultaneously view it as a perfect choice for an individual, who is skilled and able. The ambivalent perception of brain drain creates the situation, when some Russian academics justify their resistance to internationalization with assumption that it causes brain drain, whereas some others by word and deed support internationalization as a means to curb emigration. In the context of controversial educational reforms underway in Russia since 1990s, such perception helped internationalization survive as a target of the reforms, despite their overall course reversed in 2010s compared with 1990s.