Foreign students’ adaptation: analysis and assessment of the intellectual capital development
The difficulties faced by foreign students studying at Russian universities are identified in the following paper. A model of the cross-cultural interaction management and the adaptation of foreign students in higher education is developed. The model is based on the theses of cross-cultural management and intellectual capital theory, because the intellectual capital development of all participants and the university as a whole is a result of cross-cultural interaction. The following major problems of foreign students ’ adaptation are discussed: language-related (low level of Russian language proficiency in professional terms and everyday speech); ethno-cultural (related to overcoming of cultural shock); climate adaptation difficulties. The Russian mentality specificity and organization principles of educational process are taken into consideration in the suggested model. The following parties concerned are identified: structural units responsible for educational, scientific and international activity, student groups, and volunteers. The mechanism of the parties’ interaction is described and the indicators of its functioning efficiency are noted. The systematization of social and psychological approaches to the estimation of the level of individual’s adaptation to new life conditions allows substantiating the two main assessment criteria: the individual’s socio-psychological adaptation, level and the professional adaptation, level. According to the adaptation level achieved by the student the 3 х 3 strategy matrix is suggested. The matrix helps to design a student’s adaptation and intellectual capital development plan. The methodological approach was examined at Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management. The master candidates from China, Mali, Mongolia, Nigeria and other countries were involved. The individual plans included foreign students’ engagement into scientific group activities, internship in Russian companies or changing the student group, recommendation to work with another volunteer capable of socio-methodological support. The implemented measures contributed to foreign and Russian students’ intellectual capital development, as well as ofthe university as a whole.