Adaptation and Integration of International Students  in Russian Higher Education: A Sociological Analysis

Yuliya Lutova; Ekaterina Shchanina

doi:10.21603/2500-3372-2026-11-3-377-386

ADAPTATION AND INTEGRATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN RUSSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS Adaptation and Integration of International Students in Russian Higher Education: A Sociological Analysis

АА Аа

Published in Bulletin of Kemerovo State University. Series: Political, Sociological and Economic sciences · Volume 11, Issue 3, 2026 · Pages 377–386 · Rubric: Society: Cultural and Political Development

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/2500-3372-2026-11-3-377-386 · EDN: JWMJTF

Received: 19.02.2026 Accepted: 08.06.2026 Published: 15.10.2026

Authors

Yuliya Lutova

ORCID SPIN

Ekaterina Shchanina

ORCID Scopus SPIN

Yuliya Lutova

Penza State University Russian Federation · Penza

ORCID SPIN

Ekaterina Shchanina

Academic degree: doctor of sociological sciences ; candidate of sociological sciences

Science rang: docent

Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration Russian Federation · Moscow

Penza State University Russian Federation · Пенза

ORCID Scopus SPIN

ABSTRACT

Russian higher education has become a key component of academic export during globalization and interstate integration. The growing competition in the global education market requires new offerings adapted to the needs of international students while maintaining a high quality of education. Entering a foreign linguistic and cultural environment often leads to adaptation difficulties and stress. This analysis of adaptation and integration factors relied on the Questionnaire of Social Adaptation and Professional Socialization of International Students in Russian Universities (March 2025). The study involved 850 international students from Penza State University, the St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications, and St. Petersburg State University. When choosing a university, foreign students prioritized the quality of education, recommendations from family and friends, personal preferences, and affordable tuition fees. The key difficulties affecting academic performance, social adaptation, and overall well-being included language barriers, financial constraints, household issues, cultural gaps, and psychological coping mechanisms. Therefore, the successful adaptation and integration of international students require an integrated approach from universities, the government, and the student community.

KEYWORDS

export of education, higher education, foreign students, socialization, social adaptation, factors

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GOST

Lutova Y. A., Shchanina E. V. Adaptation and Integration of International Students in Russian Higher Education: A Sociological Analysis // Bulletin of Kemerovo State University. Series: Political, Sociological and Economic sciences. 2026. no. 3. pp. 377-386. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/2500-3372-2026-11-3-377-386. EDN: JWMJTF. (Date of access 17.10.2026).

MLA

Yuliya Lutova, Shchanina E. V.. "Adaptation and Integration of International Students in Russian Higher Education: A Sociological Analysis." Bulletin of Kemerovo State University. Series: Political, Sociological and Economic sciences 11.3 (2026): 377-386. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/2500-3372-2026-11-3-377-386. EDN: JWMJTF.

APA

Lutova Y. A., Shchanina E. V. (2026). Adaptation and Integration of International Students in Russian Higher Education: A Sociological Analysis. Bulletin of Kemerovo State University. Series: Political, Sociological and Economic sciences, 11(3), 377-386. https://doi.org/10.21603/2500-3372-2026-11-3-377-386 EDN: JWMJTF.

Chicago

Yuliya Lutova, Shchanina E. V.. "Adaptation and Integration of International Students in Russian Higher Education: A Sociological Analysis." Bulletin of Kemerovo State University. Series: Political, Sociological and Economic sciences 11, no. 3 (2026): 377-386. https://doi.org/10.21603/2500-3372-2026-11-3-377-386. EDN: JWMJTF.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Lutova Y. A., Shchanina E. V. | title = Adaptation and Integration of International Students in Russian Higher Education: A Sociological Analysis | journal = Bulletin of Kemerovo State University. Series: Political, Sociological and Economic sciences | year = 2026 | volume = 11 | issue = 3 | pages = 377-386 | doi = 10.21603/2500-3372-2026-11-3-377-386 }} EDN: JWMJTF

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ADAPTATION AND INTEGRATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN RUSSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS Adaptation and Integration of International Students in Russian Higher Education: A Sociological Analysis

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