COPING STRATEGIES OF VIETNAMESE AND RUSSIAN STUDENTS OF AN INTERNATIONALLY ORIENTED UNIVERSITY

The research on coping strategies of Vietnamese and Russian students attending an internationally oriented university calls forth the necessity of the adaptation process improvement in a new educational and multicultural environment. It was hypothesized that there are similarities and differences in coping strategies among the Vietnamese and Russian students of People Friendship University in Russia (PFUR) during their education in a multicultural environment. The purpose of this study is to find out the characteristics of coping strategies among these students, using education in universities as an example. 120 Vietnamese and Russian students aged 18 to 22 participated in this research. The students were divided into two samples by gender and again categorized into four subgroups: 30 men and 30 women from Vietnam, 30 men and 30 women from Russia (all studying at PFUR). The level of confrontational coping, distancing and search for social support prevailed among Vietnamese students. Low levels of tension and feelings management were observed among Russian men. Vietnamese students are prone to use the strategy of taking responsibility under the distinct influence of anxiety. The probability of "emotional stress development" was higher among Russian students. The factorial structures, which prove the connections between emotions and the development of stress in difficult situations among Russian and Vietnamese students, were different. High levels of coping strategies such as distracting and avoiding problems, providing responsible and positive solutions to problems were revealed among Vietnamese students. The strategy of distracting and avoiding stressful situations by communicating prevailed among Russian students. (C) 2017 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK