TRACHMED Kick-Off Meeting February 2025, Istanbul

The TRACHMED Kick-Off Meeting, hosted by Marmara University in Istanbul, marked the official launch of the TRACHMED project. Over the course of three days, distinguished researchers, project partners, and invited experts gathered to define research priorities, exchange ideas, and lay the groundwork for the project's upcoming activities.

Day 1, Setting the Stage

The meeting opened with warm welcomes from Prof. Erhan Doğan and Dr. İbrahim Mazlum, followed by an introduction to TRACHMED’s vision and objectives by Assoc. Prof. H. Deniz Genç. Key highlights included:

• Insights from the Research Executive Agency (REA) delivered by Aleksandra Schoetz-Sobczak.

• Presentation of TRACHMED’s project aims, management structure, and secondment opportunities.

• Open discussions where researchers shared their fields of interest to shape future collaborations.

This first day established a shared understanding of TRACHMED’s mission and encouraged active dialogue among participants.

Day 2,  Exploring Transnational Challenges

The second day focused on key themes and research areas relevant to the Mediterranean region:

• Prof. Ronnie Munck provided a broad theoretical framework on transnationalism in social sciences.

• Experts like Prof. Ayhan Kaya, Assoc. Prof. Rustam Urinboyev, and Prof. Suna Gülfer Ihlamur Öner tackled topics such as human mobility, migration governance, and the Euro-Mediterranean migration regime.

• Panels explored the Mediterranean’s geopolitical landscape, historical transnational dynamics, climate change risks, and energy transitions, with contributions from scholars across Europe and the Mediterranean basin.

Discussions emphasized the urgent need for cross-border, interdisciplinary cooperation to address shared regional challenges.

Day 3, Research Methodologies and Next Steps

The final day was dedicated to equipping researchers with practical tools and methods for fieldwork and policy analysis:

• Assoc. Prof. Hakan Mehmetcik introduced quantitative methods for data-driven research.

• Prof. Ronaldo Munck emphasized engaged, policy-relevant research.

• Workshops covered ethnographic fieldwork strategies, particularly regarding migration, and the integration of gender perspectives into research.

The Kick-Off Meeting concluded by reaffirming TRACHMED’s commitment to combining academic excellence with real-world impact, and setting a roadmap for the project's next phases.

TRACHMED’s Kick-Off Meeting demonstrated the strength of international collaboration and set a strong foundation for addressing transnational challenges in the Mediterranean.
Stay connected with us to follow our journey!