The youth policy of socio-cultural adaptation of foreign students in the multi-confessional region

Abstract

Due to the intensification of migration flows, world socio-economic and political crises, there is growth in inter-religious and inter-ethnic tension. The multi-confessional regions that had achieved ethnic and confessional balance in their territory, have confronted again an issue of ensuring conflict-free interaction between the indigenous population with the newcomers. A particular attention is given to the youth, which, according to statistics of Levada-Center, is characterized by anti-immigrant sentiment and a high level of intolerance [1, p. 181-183]. These trends and their worldwide expression made us give thought to the study of the updated problem of socio-cultural adaptation of foreign students in the Republic of Tatarstan. This paper deals with the analysis of foreign students' opinions about the impact of external factors and changes of ethnic and confessional balance in Europe on their relations with the indigenous population in the country, and reveals their influence on ethnic and confessional tension within the region. We have assessed the conditions created in the Republic of Tatarstan for social and cultural adaptation of migrants studying in the major universities. The paper is based on the applied social research and is practice-oriented. Our research allowed us to identify the main mechanisms for integration of foreign students into a new socio-cultural environment, define the strategy and the success of interaction of representatives of educational migration flows and the host population. Analysis of the materials showed that, despite the negative trends in the global space, the Republic of Tatarstan manages to maintain the balance of the success of mutual acculturation of migrants and the host population.