INYI | Office of Women's Health Research Chair in Mental Health

International Network on Youth Integration (INYI)

The INYI is an international network for knowledge exchange and collaboration. Activities of the Network includes, amongst others:

An exchange of information about members’ and other’s publications
Organization of Visiting Scholar/Post-doctoral exchanges between members’ institutions
Collaboration on new proposals (with different members of the INYI taking the lead, depending upon source of funding and research focus)
Collaboration on workshops/presentations at international conferences.

If you are interested in submitting a manuscript for publication in the INYI Journal, kindly see our Guidelines for manuscript submissions.

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CALL FOR PAPERS FOR SPECIAL ISSUE: Reception and psychosocial support of unaccompanied minors and youth: Strategies, practices and policy challenges

The INYI Journal is seeking submissions on how receiving countries perceive, act, and assist unaccompanied minors and youth in terms of policies (e.g., migration, settlement services, integration), and other supports provided by non-governmental actors. We invite submissions that focus on the challenges faced by unaccompanied minors and youth. Themes may include: resettlement experiences, adaptation, training needs of professionals supporting minors and youth, their transition to adulthood, and transdisciplinary work from sectors including education, health, law, and social services. Submissions that provide critical theoretical perspectives and empirical knowledge on the crucial role of social support on psychological, mental, and emotional well-being of unaccompanied minors and youth are welcome.

See the Call for Papers for more details: INYI Call for Papers - Special Issue Unaccompanied Minors.June2026a

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INYI Network Members

Dr. Nazilla Khanlou. Learn more about Dr. Khanlou here: About Us

Dr. Attia Khan. Learn more about Dr. Khan here: About Us

Dr. Luz Maria Vazquez. Learn more about Dr. Vazquez here: About Us

Dr. Théogène-Octave Gakuba

Email: theogene-octave.gakuba@hesge.ch

Dr. Gakuba is a Professor of Geneva School of Social Work at University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland. His teaching and research interests focus on migration, vulnerability and resilience of refugees and migrants, social work with young people, quality of life of older migrants, cross cultural psychology, health and migration, migration and development, unaccompanied minors migrants. Dr. Gakuba has received research funding from organizations including Leenaards Foundation, Swiss Network for International Studies, Council for the Development of Social, Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Swiss National Science Foundation, and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Since 2023, he is coordinating a training and research network on unaccompanied minors and young migrants in Switzerland, France, Canada and Belgium supported by the program RELIEF (Réseau d’échanges et de liaisons entre institutions d’Enseignement Supérieur francophones).

Dr. Fernando Nunes

Email: fernando.nunes@msvu.ca

Dr. Nunes is an Associate Professor with the Department of Child and Youth Study, Mount Saint Vincent University. His research has focused on the integration of at-risk immigrant children, youth cultural identity, multiculturalism and Canada’s immigrant settlement services. He authored Problems and Adjustments of the Portuguese Immigrant Family in Canada (1986) as well as Portuguese-Canadians From Sea to Sea (1998), the first national study on this community. He has acquired over 40 years of volunteer and paid experience within child and youth care, education, social services and public health. He is currently involved in research dealing with post-colonial relationships between Lusophones and their Portuguese-Canadian neighbours and on inclusive care for racialized families of children with developmental disabilities.

Dr. Donna Richards

Email: donnarichards@trentu.ca

Dr. Richards is an Assistant Professor and the Associate Chair (AIDE Project) in the Department of Social Work at Trent University. Her teaching and practice are grounded in critical race, anti-colonial theory, critical disability studies, and anti-Black racism frameworks. Her research explores the intersection of race and anti-Black racism in health and mental healthcare for Black and other racialized populations. She has extensive experience working with young adults aged 16-29 and in youth-related engagement projects within government and non-profit sectors, as well as in clinical private practice. Donna has published peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and reports.

INYI Journals Website