This article presents the problems of the development of higher education in Russia, including the priorities of higher education institutions in the program for the development of competitiveness. Kazan Federal University is considered to be the leader in Russia in the number of foreign students studying in Russia, with more than 7,000 students from 98 countries studying there. Noting that internationalization has become a "universal" phrase that people use to best fit their purpose, we emphasize the need for a more focused definition that sets internationalization parameters if it is to be understood and treated them with importance (Knight & de Wit, 1995 ). The main focus of this study is on the study of internal processes of internationalization occurring in the university: 1) The study of factors contributing to and hindering the processes of internationalization; 2) What is internal internationalization in university substructures; its parameters; 3) the practice of social work at the university contributes to the maintenance and development of internal internationalization. The major method is a survey method conducted among 700 foreign students, aimed at studying the choice of a university by foreign students, studying the factors that contribute to adaptation and hinder adaptation including the internationalization of foreign students. The key result of this study describes the experience of social practice when working with foreign students and the impact of university activities on internationalization. The internationalization model proposed by the author Schoorman helped to make an analysis of the internationalization process using the example of studying the social life of foreign students.

internationalization processes in education, criteria for the effectiveness of internal university internationalization processes, foreign students