International students’ adjustment to the educational environment of the Russian university: medical and psychological aspect of socio-cultural integration

Introduction. The increase in the number of academic exchange programmes for students contributes to a significant growth in the number of international students in Russian universities who often experience a sense of dislocation and have to adjust to new academic and cultural environments. The key problem of integrating international students into the Russian educational environment is their psychological adjustment, which determines not only their academic attainment, but also indicators of their health and social well-being. The purpose of this article is to identify psychological and medical factors and manifestations of adjustment to the educational environment of the Russian university for international students, as well as to assess their satisfaction with medical and psychological support during their studies at university.