Institute for Turkish Studies, Integration and Research (S&R, Original Name- Instituut voor Turkse Studies Integratie en Onderzoek) is a non-profit organization recognized by Federal Public Service Justice of Belgium, was founded on 26/6/2019 in Antwerp, Belgium. Institute for Turkish Studies, Integration and Research’ (S&R) contributes to the integration, adaptation of Turkish society living for more than 50 years in Flanders, Belgium through research and education. For children and adults living in a multi-cultural society through Belgium and Turkey, our institute supports their belonging, aspirations, identity, academic success, self-development, self-esteem, and their adaptation into these multi cultures. In an immigrant context, we do research and make projects for the integration of this multicultural society in Belgium. We aim to empower all immigrant groups in Belgium by means of inclusive and innovative projects. We invest on the mutual understanding among all immigrant communities and the host community through intercultural dialogue. Our institution includes 500 students, 25 teachers, 500 parents, and 12 Erasmus interns, exchange staff and 100 voluntary people with high diplomas etc. In our institution, we have an academic advisory committee including 13 academicians (professors, associate professors, etc.) such as Prof. Dr. Sevilay Altintaş (Antwerp University Hospital) Prof. Dr. Kutlay Yagmur (Tilburg University, Culture Studies) and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Akinci (Rouen University, Linguistics) and Prof. Dr. Orhan Agirdag (Leuven University, Educational Sciences), having so many researches on socio-economical, psychological, linguistic, integration, social inclusion and academic problems of students, youths, parents living in Belgium, Germany, Holland, France, Turkey, where an immigration, cultural heritage and social inclusion are getting a governmental-issue to come up with.

Our institutional body is recognized by Republic of Turkey Turkish Embassy of Brussel, Turkish Consulate General in Brussel and Antwerp, Ministry of National Education of Turkey, Yunus Emre Institute in order to create a legal identity through dialogue and collaboration. Also, through our sponsors, institutional partners, and stakeholders (municipalities, universities, schools, kindergartens, NGOs, local/international initiatives, companies etc.) we try to build an accountable institutional body giving a voice to a well-integrated society. Beyond this, all volunteering initiatives and contributions create self-awareness in the society which is so initial for our social inclusion.

Our mission is to make a sustainable cooperation with institutional environments (parents, students, youths, schools, stakeholders, NGOs, institutions, universities, municipalities etc.) through scientific and institutional partnerships, Erasmus+ partnership, internship. Regarding the needs and expectations of our stakeholders, we develop and implement educational programmes and scientific research process for children and youth in order to support their 21st century skills. Within the framework of 21st Century Learning, we provide learning & innovative skills, information, media, and ICT (Information, Communications, and Technology) skills, life & career skills.

During coronavirus epidemic, teleworking is currently the norm at our institution in the framework of corona measures and guidelines in Belgium. Alternative forms of teaching and learning activities (online classes, projects...) via MS Teams, Zoom, YouTube used mainly with several tools and technical aids that enable us to make our digital educational and social activities interactive.

Our activities are based on educational and societal dimensions. For educational dimensions, we develop and implement educational programmes, curriculum, and instruction for students/youth within the 21st Century Learning environment. We promote an understanding of academic content at much higher levels by weaving 21st century interdisciplinary themes like global awareness and world citizenship, civic literacy and intercultural cooperation and social inclusion, entrepreneurial literacy and networking, and environmental literacy and sustainability. We supervise the exchange students and staff coming through Erasmus+ partnership, internship and we provide supervising service to students with immigrant background for their further educational trajectory. We organize workshops in different cities in Belgium through interactive drama-based or scientific-based activities and online workshops through virtual network tools. We give seminars to the youths/students about the sociological, psychological, educational needs of them such as social inclusion, integration, cultural heritage, bilingual upbringing, youth-rearing practices in immigrant contexts, 21st century skills, multiculturalism, school adaptation, personnel development of youth/students etc. Also, in our institution through Erasmus+ projects, we had Learning, Teaching and Training Activities (LLT) on these issues.