The Department of Sociology provided active support to an international project carried out by one of its external stakeholders, the TERRA Child Education and Counseling Association. The project was launched with the aim of raising awareness and increasing consciousness among youth in the fight against addiction.
As part of this collaboration, Dr. Raheb Mohammadi Ghanbarlou, a faculty member and Vice Chair of the Department of Sociology, delivered a series of seminars on addiction prevention at various secondary schools in the Küçükçekmece district. A total of 16 seminars were conducted, and the seminar series was successfully completed in April 2025 following an intensive, months-long program.
The seminars provided students with comprehensive information on types of addiction, the individual and societal impacts of addiction, coping strategies, and healthy lifestyle habits. The importance of early awareness in combating addiction was particularly emphasized, and students actively participated in the sessions.
Following the completion of the seminar series, a closing meeting was held in April 2025. Representing the Department of Sociology were Department Chair Dr. Ayşe Aydın and Vice Chair Dr. Raheb Mohammadi Ghanbarlou. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Mayor of Küçükçekmece, the District Director of Education, school administrators and teachers from the participating institutions, as well as representatives from other relevant organizations.
At the closing meeting, Dr. Raheb Mohammadi Ghanbarlou presented a detailed report summarizing the seminars conducted as part of the project. After the report presentation, plaques were awarded to the experts and academics who supported the project in appreciation of their contributions.
The meeting concluded with an emphasis on the importance of education and awareness in the fight against addiction. This fruitful collaboration between the Department of Sociology and TERRA Association was regarded as a significant step toward strengthening university-community relations and enhancing social responsibility awareness.
