Üsküdar University, in collaboration with Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, Kılavuz Youth Academy, and Young Minds Academy, organized the workshop titled “Solutions to New Generation Youth Issues Through Social Innovation” during Youth Week, which was met with great interest from young participants. The workshop included practical sessions focused on multidisciplinary teamwork, innovative problem analysis methods, project cycle management processes, impact-based social enterprise models, social benefit for societal contribution, and mentorship support. The core focus was to produce innovative solutions to address “New Generation Youth Issues.”
A total of 90 young participants from different provinces of Türkiye and from universities located in Kocaeli took part in the event.
The workshop was conducted under the moderation of Asst. Prof. Nebiye Yaşar, Social Contribution Coordinator of Üsküdar University, and Asst. Prof. Ayhan Özşahin, Head of the Department at Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine.
The strategy of the workshop, which served as a scientific platform analyzing contemporary challenges faced by youth and prioritizing interdisciplinary approaches and socially impactful solutions, was shaped by the guiding quote from President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan’s book “The Conscious Youth”: “A youth who thinks with their own mind builds the future.”
Practical workshops were conducted
Within the scope of the workshop, participants engaged in hands-on workshops covering themes such as multidisciplinary teamwork, innovative methods for problem analysis, project cycle management, impact-driven social enterprise models, social benefit aimed at societal contribution, and mentorship support.
Youth issues were analyzed in detail
At the end of the two-day program, participants conducted in-depth analyses of prioritized youth problems and presented their innovative project proposals. The resulting outputs were compiled into a report, designed to inform youth policies and local governance practices.
Foundation was laid for leadership in social benefit projects
The program, which concluded with the distribution of certificates to participants, aimed to cultivate active citizenship among young people through a social innovation-based approach. It also laid the groundwork for their solution-oriented participation in decision-making processes and leadership roles in projects that generate societal benefit.
New generation youth issues identified during the workshop:
- Career Uncertainty and Anxiety About the Future
- Digital Addiction and Coping with Loneliness
- Bullying, Violence, and Peer Relationships
- Crisis of Belonging and Search for Identity
- Psychological Resilience and Mental Health
- Youth and Social Participation
- Immigrant Youth and Integration
- Ecological Awareness and Sustainability
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)