The Practice of Cultural Adaptation of Foreign Students Based on Creative Activity

Abstract

The article aims to demonstrate the role of creative activity in the process of adaptation of foreign students to a different culture. The analysis is based on Immanuel Kant’s concept of the productive power of imagination. It has been established that creativity serves as a basis for communication, while the productive power of imagination is an integral part of the communication process. Creativity is understood here as a collective process of communication contributing to the formation of shared experiences among representatives of different cultures. The author emphasizes the importance of using modern cognitive theories, including the concept of situated cognition and cognitive linguistics, which provide effective models for explaining the process of forming intercultural experience in the context of creative communication. As an example of how joint creative practices of students from different countries lead to successful intercultural interaction and adaptation, the article presents the experience of Kenozero National Park (Arkhangelsk Region) and Etnomir Ethnographic Park (Kaluga Region). A conclusion is made that the productive power of imagination generates shared narratives that facilitate intercultural dialogue. Additionally, the paper outlines prospects for further development of intercultural interaction. The theoretical significance of the research lies in demonstrating the heuristic potential of Kant’s theory of creativity and imagination for studying the cultural adaptation of foreign students. When it comes to the practical importance, the study outlines prospects for further elaboration of the project “Development of New Cooperation Practices for the Sociocultural Adaptation of Migrants in the Arkhangelsk Region”, which was implemented as part of the Arkhangelsk Region Governor’s Grant Competition in 2023–2024.