Adaptation strategies typology of Russian students in China: an empirical research (case-study of SMBU)

The subject of the research is the sociocultural adaptation of Russian students in China, viewed as a multifaceted process that includes academic, social, everyday, cultural, and emotional dimensions. The object of the study is Russian students from the joint MGU-PPI university in Shenzhen. The author examines in detail topics such as language barriers in everyday and academic communication, difficulties in social integration into the Chinese student environment, cultural shock regarding behavioral norms and daily habits, as well as emotional states, including stress and loneliness, during the adaptation process. Special attention is given to the typology of adaptation strategies that Russian students choose in a foreign cultural environment and their relationship to J. Berry's model of acculturation, as well as the analysis of students’ self-assessment of their own adaptation success. The methodological foundation is J. Berry's model of acculturation, with contemporary additions regarding emotional dimensions and social support. Empirical data were collected through online surveys (70 respondents, MGU-PPI), followed by quantitative analysis of closed questions and qualitative content analysis of open responses to identify adaptation strategies. The novelty of the research lies in the empirical verification of J. Berry's acculturation model concerning Russian students in China, using relevant material gathered at the joint Russian-Chinese university. Contrary to the expectation that academic mobility automatically leads to integration, the study reveals a multiplicity of adaptation strategies across different areas: in the social sphere, separation predominates, while self-assessment of adaptability remains high, indicating integration. A significant contribution of the author to the research is the identification of three types of adaptation strategies - "settled" (integration), "harmonious" (a transitional type combining elements of integration and separation without cultural tension), and "homely" (separation) - and the demonstration that these strategies are not rigidly tied to the duration of stay in the country. The main conclusions of the conducted study are as follows: adaptation is not a linear movement toward complete integration but a multidimensional process in which social separation can coexist with successful mastery of everyday and academic practices, necessitating a reassessment of traditional notions of successful adaptation as a progressive rapprochement with the host culture.