As the Population and Social Research Institute, we carried out a three-day study visit to Hamburg within the scope of the project “Developing a Prevention Model Against Addiction for Migrant Youth”, implemented in cooperation with Yeşilay and supported by the National Agency.

Throughout visits to various institutions—most notably the University of Hamburg—on-site practices aimed at preventing addiction among migrant youth were closely examined. The visit also provided opportunities for experience sharing with experts from different countries and for discussions on potential areas of joint production and collaboration.

Learning from the Field: A Practice-Based Approach

On the first day of the visit, the issue of addiction among migrants was addressed from the perspective of field practitioners.
Within this framework, visits were made to:

• Institutions working with unaccompanied refugee children,

• Addiction services provided at a university hospital,

• Counseling centers serving migrant communities.

Direct observation, listening firsthand, and understanding practices within their real-life context constituted the strongest learning component of the process.

Trauma, Emotion Regulation, and Culturally Sensitive Interventions

The second day focused on an intensive learning process centered on trauma and emotion regulation.
Participants attended training sessions conducted within the STARK Program, which offers a culturally sensitive approach, and jointly discussed how therapeutic and support processes can be strengthened when working with migrants. During these sessions, the academic and applied studies carried out by our Institute were also presented.

Dissemination and Joint Production

The final day focused on how the knowledge and experience gained could be disseminated more widely.

In this context, discussions were held on:

• Transferring educational content to online platforms,

• Developing joint initiatives with international teams,

• Exploring opportunities for joint publications and project development.

The Hamburg visit was concluded through a process grounded in sharing and collaboration.