Study on the “Chinese-style path” of practical education for international students

Introduction. Since 2018, China has jumped to become the world's third-largest and Asia's top destination for students, and the development of Chinese higher education has gained momentum. On the path of market-oriented development, unlike many governments such as the UK and France, which have cut their higher education budgets, the Chinese government has continuously increased its support for the higher education system, which has led to a significant increase in the scale and quality of higher education in China. The Chinese government has always attached great importance to higher education and international exchanges and cooperation. As of December 2020, China has established educational cooperation and exchange relations with 188 countries and regions and 46 important international organizations, and signed agreements on mutual recognition of higher education qualifications and degrees with 54 countries. It has also provided financial and policy support for international students by introducing a series of programs such as the "National High-level University Scholarship Program" and the "Chinese Government Scholarship Program". According to the "Blue Book of International Talents: Report on the Development of Chinese Students Studying in China (2022)" released by the China Center for Globalization (CCG), more than 90% of international students coming to China are self-funded, and more and more international students are taking China as one of the most important choices for studying in China.

In terms of educational content, the Quality Code for Higher Education for International Students in China (for Trial Implementation) issued by the Chinese Ministry of Education explicitly categorizes the cultivation of international students into four dimensions, including the level of subject specialization, knowledge and understanding of China, linguistic competence, and inter-cultural and global competence. And in recent years, Chinese universities have been strengthening their innovation in curriculum system, classroom content and classroom form, and through building a national open catechism platform, transnational scientific research platform construction, and many other forms, they are increasingly bringing international education towards systematization, internationalization and professionalization level. One of the most prominent points is that Chinese colleges and universities have included the "practical" study of international education for international students in China in their academic assessment standards, as an important part of supplementing their professional knowledge and enriching their understanding of China.

The document points out that practical teaching for international students should be integrated with the career planning of international students on the premise of meeting the requirements of their majors and adapting to the needs of internationalized talent cultivation. Practical education is an educational method corresponding to theoretical education in university education, which is basically characterized by problem exploration, in-depth experience and critical reflection. The spatial difference and the plurality of objectives of practical education determines the diversity of its teaching form, and there exists a logical system composed of professional practical education and social practice education.

The practice teaching in higher education is an important part of the teaching system. It is an effective way of stimulating student’s interest and cultivating the innovative spirit and practical ability of students. The most fundamental purpose of the practice teaching is to help students practice theoretical knowledge to the production, realizing the leap from books to reality and from theory to practice. The practice teaching has important theoretical and practical significance in achieving its educational purpose and promoting the link between the education and the production [SHI Dequan, 2012, р. 1–2]. Professional-type practical education is a teaching method with comprehensive practical features based on the principle of systematic professional education, based on the professional training program, centered on clarifying the knowledge system, aimed at improving the understanding of theoretical knowledge and enhancing professional skills. According to the differences in the space of practical education, it can be divided into two categories. First, classroom professional practice education, specifically including experimental teaching, subject exploration, academic creation and other methods. International students are based on the practical teaching syllabus, relying on professional laboratories to design or participate in comprehensive professional practice training, and carry out subject investigation or academic creation training around specific topics. For example, Zhengzhou University introduces case-based learning (CBL) and practical operation for international medical students mainly from Pakistan, India, Nepal and other Asian countries, and cultivates their professional practical skills and application ability in simulated forensic experiments, actual sample collection and analysis [QIAO Xia-omeng, 2024, р. 150–151]. Second, extracurricular professional practice education, specifically including professional internships, vocational practice, cross-campus transnational academic exchanges and other ways. Through professional internships or cross-campus transnational academic exchanges in China, international students can further understand the scope, degree and conditions of social adaptation of their majors, laying a foundation for deepening their professional studies and making up for their professional deficiencies on the one hand, and preparing for solving the problem of employment in advance on the other. For example, through "university-enterprise cooperation", "university-government-enterprise cooperation" and "governmentuniversity-enterprise cooperation" and relying on rich industrial resources, Central South University actively builds an internship platform for international students in China, and establishes Through "university-enterprise cooperation", "university-government-enterprise cooperation" and "governmentuniversity-enterprise cooperation" and relying on rich industrial resources, Zhongnan University actively builds an internship platform for international students and establishes an internship base for international students, creating a model of enterprise internship base for international students in China in the form of "Academic Certificate + Certain Vocational Skill Level Certificate" [XIANG Xueyong, 2023, р. 94–95].

Social practice education is to place international students in the context of China as a whole, and under the joint action of the school and the society, based on the cross-cultural background and China's national conditions, to carry out social studies centered on social experience and social service, and to enhance cross-cultural understanding and identity. The first is cultural ex- change, which includes study trips, participation in the "China Festival" series of activities, and experience of traditional Chinese culture and unique ethnic customs. Based on China's unique ethnicity and history and culture, international students carry out rich scenarios and experiential practices centering on their interests, social issues and life problems, and experience China's long history and profound culture in communication and hands-on practice. For example, Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) has established a "three-in-one" program of art practice, art appreciation and art theory through the participation of international students in the Confucius and Confucianism Culture Study Class, International Students' Chinese Costume Club, Chinese and Foreign Students' Ethnic Orchestra, Chinese and Foreign Students' Ethnic Dance Troupe, International Students' Chinese Food Card Club, Chinese and Foreign Students' Chinese Go Club, International Students' Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Club, and so on. Chi-nese-style aesthetic education program [SHI Dapeng, 2023, р. 87–89], enhances international students' practical understanding of traditional Chinese art and aesthetics, improves their cultural identification with China in communication, and bridges the differences in cross-cultural communication. The second is the social service category, which specifically includes community participation, social experience and fact-finding. International students through the streets, communities and other grassroots organizations or other social voluntary organizations, based on an indepth understanding of the current situ- ation of China's national conditions research and investigation, through questionnaires, personal interviews, internships and other ways to supplement the books outside of China's national conditions of the specific realities. For example, Peking University proposes the construction of a social practice organization for international students, in which the grassroots of universities and villages join hands to attract international students to integrate into the grassroots, [ZHU Yibo, 2024, р. 49– 51]. Encourage international students to go to the front line of China's rural areas for field trips, visit rural demonstration sites, and learn about typical cases and successful experiences of poverty alleviation, so that international students can experience the changes and achievements of China's rural development, and gain a deeper understanding of the background and small stories of China's rural revitalization.

Problems and dilemmas encountered in practical education for international students. Practical education for international students is an important lesson for international students to supplement their specialized subject knowledge, improve their intercultural communication ability and practical ability, and understand China's national conditions and its foreign employment policy and environment.It was revealed that foreign students generally value higher education, and that the motivational postulates of obtaining an education contain not only commercial goals, but also cultural ones [Volovskaya, 2021, р. 30–36]. For China, practical education for international students is an ingenious path to promote the interna- tionalization of Chinese university education, to show China's face to international friends, and to shape China's image. China has always been a non-immigrant country, and judging from its historical trajectory, the policy environment for practical internships, employment and entrepreneurship for international students coming to China has always been in a tightened state. How to fully transform the resources of international students into an effective resource for China's talent reserve and spreading China's image is an issue that needs to be urgently emphasized and solved by the practical education of Chinese universities in the context of the current intensified mobility of the global population and the tightening of the demand for talents.

From the viewpoint of university management, the practical education system for international students has two difficulties: inadequate management system and limited effectiveness of practical activities. How to put practical education for international students into practice, Chinese universities are facing a series of organizational problems, such as how to set up a platform for resource sharing and management compilation; how to handle and plan funds and venues; how to train professional teachers; and how to protect the personal safety of international students. At the same time, national security issues should not be underestimated. Since international students come to China with different motives for study, social backgrounds and religious beliefs, the teaching and management departments of colleges and universities should not only promote friendly exchanges between international students and Chinese people, but also prevent friction and disputes among international students, which are not in line with the norms of students in colleges and universities [ZHANG Yi, 2024, р. 115–119]. On the other hand, Chinese universities do not have clear indicators to assess the effectiveness of international students' practical activities, and practical activities are only limited to carrying out the links, floating on the surface, and there is a lack of specific guidance for summarizing the results of the practice and examining the effectiveness of the practice. This will directly lead to the lack of theoretical depth and objectives of internship practice for international students, and the lack of clarity and effectiveness will become the norm.

From the viewpoint of intercul-tural adaptation of international students, there are two major problems: the language barrier and the huge gap between cultural backgrounds. Intercul-tural adaptation/adjustment is a kind of infinite game process led by the cultural spirit of the interactants, i.e., intercultur-alism is a dynamic process aiming at increasing intercultural understanding, expanding mutual respect and extending the space of mutual acceptance. Berry's theoretical framework analyzes the attitudes and directions of cultural adaptation: integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization [LI Linfeng, 2020, р. 44–45]. The cultural intelligence of international students in China can directly affect their cross-cultural adaptation and can also affect their cross-cultural adaptation through the mediating effect of psychological resilience [Chu, 2023, р. 1–6]. In terms of language barrier, at present, more than half of international students come from Asian countries, and less than 20% from Europe and the United States, and it is obvious that Chinese universities and even the whole Chinese society lack such a cultural and linguistic environment in order to realize the smooth communication in English, Chinese or other small languages in the process of practice. This requires universities and social support to strengthen tolerance and mutual trust for international students, help international students deeply understand the differences between China and foreign countries in terms of economy, politics, historical changes, social trends and other causes, overcome the discomfort and loneliness brought by the unfamiliar environment, and really enter the practice of Chinese society. Compared with primary and secondary school students, international students in colleges and universities are more mature in their psychological and intellectual development, have deep-rooted influences from the source culture of their home countries, have a deeper dependence on their home countries' culture, have a greater resistance to accepting heterogeneous cultures, and have greater difficulties in improving cross-cultural adaptability. The cultural impact they face cannot be solved simply by overcoming the language barrier. The education system, teaching methods and means, teaching content, and curriculum system of Chinese colleges and universities are all connotative forms of Chinese culture. How to let international students understand the current mainstream culture of China, adapt to the heterogeneous cultural environment, and establish multicultural values is also an urgent problem to be solved in practical education for international students in colleges and universities.

Countermeasure suggestions for solving the problems of practical education for international students. The special nature of practical education for international students is reflected in the target group on the one hand, and the unique form of practical classroom compared with theoretical classroom teaching on the other. How to improve the management system of practical education for international students, enhance the effectiveness of practical activities, break down the language barrier of international students, and deepen their understanding of China's unique cultural background is a practical issue that requires the cooperation of many parties, including the Chinese government, Chinese universities, international students and social groups. With the help of policy care, university management and social support, Chinese universities will be able to form an allround attention and management system for international students' practical education, thus enriching the professional and life practice of Chinese international students, promoting the internationalization of Chinese university education, stimulating international students' understanding of China's national conditions and their passion for expression, and promoting the construction of China's good international image in the midst of the "other shaping". In this way, it will enrich the professional and life practice of Chinese international students, promote the internationalization of Chinese university education, stimulate their understanding of China's national conditions and passion for expression, and promote the construction of China's good international image through "other shaping".

• 1.    Based on the special characteristics of the international student group, we draw on the experience of Chinese universities in practical teaching for Chinese students

  Practical education aims to broaden the horizons of college students, enhance the practical application of professional knowledge, cultivate college students' sense of service, practical ability and innovation ability, and facilitate the transition from college to society. This is a common goal of practical education, which is also applicable to practical education for international students, but international students are more difficult to integrate in terms of cross-cultural adaptation. There are many successful examples of practical education for Chinese students in Chinese universities. Since 1997, ten ministries and commissions led by the Chinese government have been carrying out the social practice activities of "three trips to the countryside" for Chinese university students in culture, science and technology, and hygiene, guiding students from universities to carry out cultural activities in the countryside with the aim of promoting the construction of spiritual civilization in rural areas, and helping and guiding university students to carry out cultural activities in the countryside. The aim is to promote the construction of spiritual civilization in rural areas, and to help and guide university students to grow up and become successful in accordance with the requirements of the development of advanced productive forces. According to statistics, more than 100 million col-

• lege and university students have participated in the "three trips to the countryside", serving more than 3 million enterprises and helping the poor population more than 1,000 times, which is a great achievement for international students' practical education and cultivation, no matter in terms of the richness of the forms of the "three trips to the countryside", the scale of the organization, and the influence of society. In terms of rich forms, scale of organization and social influence, these activities are of great significance to the practical education and training of international students and the construction of management system. In addition, based on the differences in language and cultural background of international students, Chinese universities should actively build service platforms, strengthen the construction of specialized teachers, and enhance inter-university cooperation, university-enterprise cooperation and social support. The content of practical education consists of professional knowledge and social service or participation, which is spatially differentiated and diversified according to the majors, grades, institutions and regions to which international students belong, and covers multiple levels and fields such as campuses, neighborhoods and enterprises in Chinese society. Chinese colleges and universities urgently need to build a practice education service system led by professional college teachers, on the one hand, to build a standardized management system, and strictly require the participation and implementation of international students' practice activities from the level of system and standard; on the other hand, to actively strive for a better social environment for

  international students, i.e., to provide more opportunities to participate in practice activities and exchange and experience, and to seek social understanding and support for the international student group. To seek social understanding and support for the international student body. In the process of the activities, international students are encouraged to give full play to their professional and cross-cultural characteristics, give full play to their own strengths, learn something from the social practice, and improve the effectiveness of social practice.The study found that the practical education colleges and universities has begun to diversify and market-ize, but there are still gaps between teacher resources of practical education in colleges and universities and newly professional docking [Appelbaum, 2017, р. 984–986]. At the same time, the professionalization of the teaching team will also affect the quality of practical education. At present, Chinese universities face the dilemma of the lack of comprehensive teaching talents, the intercul-tural communication ability and the level of practical guidance have a large deficiency, and the breadth and depth of practical teaching for international students are underdeveloped. At the same time, if Chinese universities want to accept international students, they must develop their teaching methods and facilities towards internationalization, adapt to the universality and specificity of international students, and promote the deepening of practical education for international students with sufficient and standardized teaching resources [YAN Qi, 2023, р. 40–42].

• 2.    Based on the efficient development of practice, improve the practice

management system of colleges and universities

The international student management system is an important measure to protect the rights and interests of international students. At present, the international student management system of most Chinese universities has big defects, the international student management department has imperfect organization and unclear function, the management system lacks pertinence, it is difficult to carry out the specific work of international student management, international students' needs cannot be satisfied, and it is difficult to get timely and effective help and protection in case of urgent problems [YU Tong, 2024, р. 25–31]. Therefore, Chinese colleges and universities should establish a sound management system for international students' practice, clarify the responsibilities and tasks of each link in the process of enrollment, cultivation, management, evaluation and service of international students' practice, formulate the cultivation program and management manual of international students' practice education based on the special characteristics of international students, and regulate the ability of international students' practice work. Chinese colleges and universities should devote themselves to perfecting the rules and regulations and bylaws for the management of international students' practical education, clarifying the rights and obligations of international students in the process of practical education, establishing a mechanism for disciplinary handling and regulating the behavior of international students. At the same time, Chinese universities should also estab- lish a scientific and diversified evaluation index system for the characteristics of international students, and clearly evaluate the objects and contents of practice, in which the evaluation indexes should take into account both the academic research level and the cultivation of practical ability. Chinese universities should establish corresponding evaluation indexes and standards for different disciplinary fields and different types of international students, such as the quantity and quality of academic papers, the application of scientific research funds and projects, the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, social services and social influence. Chinese universities need to clarify the diversified assessment and evaluation mechanism, fully consider the characteristics and development needs of international students, and adopt comprehensive evaluation, expert evaluation, self-assessment, mutual evaluation and other methods to evaluate the practical education situation of international students in terms of assessment of academic achievements, innovation and entrepreneurship activities, social practice, internship and practical training, scientific research projects, and transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Chinese universities also need to strengthen process evaluation and focus on process management. Process evaluation refers to the tracking, recording and feedback of students' learning, scientific research and practice in the process of student training, so as to timely discover problems, correct deviations and guide the direction. The process evaluation standard of Chinese universities can be in the form of daily, weekly, monthly and annual reports, and process evaluation can be carried out regularly, as well as in the process management of academic guidance, scientific research guidance, practical guidance, career planning, etc., to improve the ability and quality of international students.

Building a culture of understanding and identity based on intercultural contexts

In order to promote the development of practical education for international students, it is necessary to build intercultural identity and understanding, i.e. to create a specific cultural atmosphere to promote intercultural adaptation of international students. International students inevitably feel cross-cultural pressure after entering the host country, which comes from both the strong impact of heterogeneous culture and the cultural identity distress experienced by international students. How to adapt to unfamiliar eating habits, language expression, dress, thinking style, ideology, interpersonal relationship, rules and regulations, how to cope with the severe challenge of the impact of the original worldview, outlook on life and values, how to face the destruction of their own self-perception and psychological balance based on the source culture, and how to overcome the pressure of anxiety, homesickness, excessive attention, language barriers, psychological discrepancy, etc.? How to overcome the pressure of anxiety, homesickness, excessive attention, language barrier, psychological gap, etc., and how to reexamine oneself from a new cultural perspective are all problems that international students have to face [JW

Berry, 2006, р. 303–332]. Cross-cultural stress decreases as cross-cultural adaptation increases [Jang Yuri, 2007, р. 267–275]. Therefore, in the process of practical education, Chinese colleges and universities must respect the religious beliefs and cultural customs of international students, provide international students with better development space with correct management concepts, and realize the resonance between international students and the management of colleges and universities, such as organizing international students to learn how to use the practical education management system, enhancing the continuity of cross-cultural courses, and helping international students to overcome the language difficulties, etc., and help international students ease cross-cultural anxiety in their study and life according to the development principle of cross-cultural adaptability. The principle of development of intercultural adaptability helps international students to relieve intercultural anxiety in their study and life. Traditional institutions of higher learning in China can improve teaching efficiency through distance learning, online learning and other emerging open, access-oriented education practices [IJ DeVries, 2019, р. 168– 178] Based on cultural differences, on the basis of guaranteeing that the practical activities coincide with the religious beliefs and social customs of international students, Chinese colleges and universities should pay attention to combining with regional culture. With the most direct cultural environment and resources, they should organize international students to carry out practical activities, eliminate barriers to cultural communication, build an efficient and stable cross-cultural communication system, and improve the cross-cultural adaptability of international students [DAI Jiayi, 2020, р. 196–198]. In addition, Chinese universities and colleges should tailor their teaching to the needs of international students and seek common ground between Chinese and foreign cultural values. International students, as a young group with broad vision and active thinking, are an important force in promoting international cultural exchanges and an important medium for strengthening international trust and understanding. How to enhance the cultural value identity of international students in practical education, and then promote the international communication of Chinese culture, system and society with international students coming to China as the main body, accurately capture the interests and resonance of international audiences, solve the obstacles of cross-cultural understanding of China's image in the whole international community, and minimize cultural misinterpretation is also one of the important goals of practical education in Chinese universities.

Conclusion. The practice teaching undertakes an important role as well as theory teaching in college education. Through teaching practice, students can form the strict scientific attitude, strong independent analysis problem, problemsolving ability and skilled professional skills, good physical quality and strong psychological ability. From the implementation and evaluation system of practice teaching, writer expounds the necessity of the practice teaching in depth in universities, and emphasizes the important position and role of the practical teaching during training students' ability.[]Practical teaching is also more in line with the needs of the current era, as Russian scholar Smirnova points out in his paper,the traditions of the Russian higher education system, which are currently being challenged by the need to modify teaching programs to accommodate modern practical demands, are also discussed. Under pressure from employers to provide graduates who are job ready', Russian universities have to prove that their graduates have the appropriate skills to meet the requirements of newly formed Professional Standards [YG Butler, 2011, р. 36–57]. In addition, the "Chinese way" of practical education for international students can be a reference for Russia, as there are some similarities in the education of international students in China and Russia. Firstly, in terms of language learning, both China and Russia have a rich language and culture, and international students usually need to learn the language in order to better integrate into the study and life. Whether they are learning Chinese or Russian, they need to put in time and energy to improve their language level through language courses or independent study. Secondly, in terms of cultural background, both China and Russia have a long history and deep cultural heritage, and international students need to adapt to different cultural environments and social customs. Thirdly, in terms of education system, both China and Russia have their own unique education system and teaching methods, and international students need to adapt to the new learning environment and teaching methods, including the differences in curriculum, teaching style, assessment methods and so on. Last but not least, in terms of support services for international students, Chinese and Russian universities usually have specialized international student offices or international education departments to provide international students with all kinds of support and assistance. These supports include enrollment guidance, life services, psychological counseling, etc., aiming to help international students successfully complete their studies and integrate into local life.

The practice of China's education modernization emphasizes the development path that takes into account the national conditions of the country, which means that for Russia, in the process of promoting education modernization, it should focus on the development of an education model that suits the characteristics of the country by taking into account the actual situation and needs of Russia, and similarly, it should take into account the educational models with Russian characteristics in carrying out practical teaching for international students. The Chinese way puts practical education for international students at the core of the education system for international students, and this concept can inspire Russian education policy makers to review the goals and methods of education and pay more attention to cultivating the practical and innovative abilities of international students. In addition, the model of University-Industry Cooperation, which was not mentioned above, is also one of the ideas that can be borrowed. The Chinese-style path emphasizes school-enterprise cooperation, and through cooperation with enterprises, students can learn in practice and better adapt to the working environment. Russia can learn from this model to establish closer school-enterprise cooperation and improve the employment competitiveness of international student graduates. Based on the demand for talents from multinational enterprises, the cultivation of talents for international students should focus on the comprehensive quality of "language proficiency + professional skills + cultural adaptation", and then the courses corresponding to the competence have a clearer module setting. Through the tailor-made talent cultivation program for international students, in addition to enabling students to master professional knowledge and skills, we should also focus on cultivating students' knowledge of Chinese culture. At the same time, it is also necessary to increase the cultivation of students' cross-cultural awareness, so as to equip them with the skills and abilities to work in a cross-cultural context [Smirnova, 2019, р. 347–358]. As a relatively new educational model in recent years, "Chinese + Vocational Skills" was formally proposed at the Chinese Language Education Conference in 2019, and as a brand new educational concept, it is at the beginning of its life cycle. "Chinese + Vocational Skills" refers to the integration of language and technical skills, and is supported by two major education systems - Chinese language education and vocational practice education. In order to cope with China's "going out" and other internationalization development needs, Chinese enterprises along the "Belt and Road" countries are in urgent need of a group of high-quality and complex management talents who can understand professionalism, communication, and local culture as well as Chinese culture, which requires Chinese universities to cultivate a group of fluent Chinese and professional management talents. This requires Chinese universities to cultivate a group of international students who are fluent in Chinese and have strong professional practice ability [WANG Zhongguang, 2021, р. 389– 392]. Similarly for Russia, Russian universities and colleges cultivate a group of foreign Russian-speaking talents with good professional and practical abilities, which can help the development of Russian enterprises and is of great benefit to Russia's economic development. The Chinese-style path focuses on cultivating foreign students' innovative consciousness and entrepreneurial spirit, and encourages students to explore and innovate through innovative and entrepreneurial education. It also encourages students to participate in social practice programs, and enhances their sense of social responsibility and practical ability through participation in social practice. Russia can learn from this approach and strengthen social practice programs.

Practical education for international students also serves the important purpose of promoting international students' employment in China, where their familiarity with the Chinese cultural environment and their professionalism cultivated by Chinese universities can enable them to meet the requirements of jobs in relevant fields in China. The international student group is actually a huge human resource that can be utilized, and in fact, the quality of university education is an important factor influencing the willingness of international students to stay in the host country for employment. Chinese colleges and universities have improved the employment intention of international students in China by raising the entry thresholds such as the ranking of the colleges and universities where international students come to study, actively guiding international students to choose their majors, increasing the internship experience of international students in China, upgrading the highest academic qualifications pursued by international students in China and enhancing the correlation between the majors of international students in China and their employment, which have helped China to increase the utilization of excellent international students' human resources, these are closely related to practical teaching [WANG Yufan, 2024, p. 211214]. In the academic year 2019/2020, the total number of foreign students at Russian universities will be 315,000, which is about 8% of the total number of students enrolled at Russian universities [ZHU Jiangbin, 2023, p. 150-160]. Russia can likewise enhance the development of practical talents of international students in Russia and train highly qualified international talents for Russia who are willing to stay and work in Russia.