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IN TIMES OF A GEOPOLITICAL CRISIS: COMMUNICATIVE ASPECTS (COMMUNICATIVE ASPECTS OF FOREIGN STUDENTS’ SOCIAL ADAPTATION IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN CHALLENGES) // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2023. Issue 4 (38). P. 239-260

In today’s globalized world, the number of international students serves as a quantitative indicator of a university’s global reputation in the field of educational services. Still, a qualitative indicator in this context is their successful social adaptation and integration into the host culture, as this is a guarantee of their academic performance, professional and creative self-actualization, and, in the long term, employment in the host or native country. Effective communication between university employees and international students is a cornerstone of successful social adaptation of the latter. The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive overview of communicative strategies used in Russian universities on different stages of international students’ social adaptation. This study is particularly relevant in the current context of geopolitical instability because having a comprehensive and distinct social adaptation strategy is crucial for maintaining and increasing the inflow of international students during the crisis period. International students, along with their parents, exhibit hesitation towards coming to Russia in the current geopolitical climate. Therefore, the university administration and teaching staff face the task of dispelling these concerns. Moreover, international students’ fears and concerns may be caused by such adaptation difficulties as language barrier, lack of knowledge of the host culture, etc. We believe that one of the most effective means of dealing with such fears is targeted and direct communication that addresses both international students’ rational thinking and their emotional sphere. We examine various types of social adaptation and assess the impact of geopolitical crises on this process. We emphasize the significance of understanding international students’ sociocultural adaptation as a complex process consisting of two equally important stages: the development of new cultural and communicative competencies and the cultivation of a new multicultural personality fully adapted to the host country’s mentality. Language barriers represent a significant obstacle for international students. Visual materials that help international students to perceive information about formal and informal aspects of university life are effective for institutional adaptation, i.e., adaptation to the characteristics, structure, norms, and values of the host university, even if international students face a language barrier. We analyze different visual and semiotic approaches to conveying important messages to international students, such as visual presentations, as well as different communication strategies (cooperation, prevention, etc.). We present a case study of social adaptation of international students at Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University and the results of a survey conducted among representatives of target groups. The survey revealed that common adaptation difficulties for international students include challenges in comprehending educational materials presented exclusively in verbal form, an inconsistent use of simulations as tools for explaining key concepts and processes, and a sporadic utilization of video materials for illustrating the studied processes or phenomena.

Keywords: social adaptation, foreign students, internationalization of higher education, integration, international education, socio-psychological climate at university