The authors research the academic mobilityAcademic mobility (mainly international student mobility) prospects as an element of soft powerSoft power strategies. Educational cooperationCooperation is a powerful political and cultural tool; however, it requires a certain level of societal preparedness, and negative stereotypes can hinder its efficiency to an equal or greater extent than political instability does. The authors explore the role of educational cooperation and namely academic mobilityAcademic mobility, in Russian foreignPolicy policyForeign policy. Special attention is dedicated to the Russian Federation’s relations with Tajikistan in this sphere. In contrast to the attention and efforts dedicated to strengthening these relations on the governmental level, the day-to-day cooperation experiences notable difficulties. Problems mainly lie in the sphere of intercultural communication and foreign students’ adaptation issues. This does not only apply to RussiaRussia as a receiving country, but also as a sending country. The authors have conducted a poll among the students to define the most desirable academic mobilityAcademic mobility destinations. The results clearly show the persistence of stereotypes as Tajikistan falls long behind Europe, Asia, and sometimes even Latin America, despite financial and organisational difficulties due to the long distance. The review of educational processesEducational process and procedures also shows possible weak spots in the adaptation process.