ORGANIZING AND STAGING EXTRACURRICULAR CROSS-CULTURAL EVENTS AT A UNIVERSITY WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AS A WAY TO CREATE MULTICULTURAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

The paper studies one of the priority challenges for the modern Russian higher education system - to integrate into the international educational environment, the main characteristic of which is multiculturalism. One of the ways to create a multicultural environment in a university is to organize and stage cross-cultural events with the participation of international students. The analysis of scientific and reference literature demonstrates that the problem needs more detailed and thorough research at the level of a regional university. The purpose of the research is to study the experience on how to organize cross-cultural events with the participation of international students and develop practical recommendations on how to arrange these activities at a university. The study describes the main prerequisites for organizing events aimed at improving the quality of intercultural communication within a university, acquiring social skills to interact in a multicultural group, harmonizing inter-ethnic emotional relations, developing tolerance and respect to “an alien” culture. The study also reveals the potential of such events to solve problems related to the training and adaptation of international students in a new educational environment. The novelty of the research lies in defining the main thematic areas and stages of organizing and staging extracurricular cross-cultural events, describing the mission of a teacher. The results of the study present the assessment of the positive dynamics of changes in cross-cultural knowledge and skills of the participants in one of the cross-cultural projects. To determine these changes among the participants of the event before and after its staging, a survey was conducted using the author's questionnaire designed based on the Intercultural Development Inventory. It allowed identifying the ability of Russian and international students to perceive cultural differences and change their behavior model in accordance with them.