40-Person Osaka Dental University Delegation Visits Columbia
The bioscience-based educational, research and patient care programs at Columbia University’s School of Dental and Oral Surgery (SDOS) have attracted the attention of a top university across the globe. This week, a delegation of 40 senior administrators, faculty and alumni of Osaka Dental University in Japan visited Columbia SDOS as part of an educational and research agreement between the two universities.
The Osaka Dental University representatives formally signed the partnership agreement this week, which involves joint research projects, the exchange of reference materials and participation in postdoctoral specialty programs and education courses by faculty and students from both universities. The Japanese dentists also participated in a week-long comprehensive course in dental implantology this week at Columbia.
The international collaboration, coordinated by Ira Lamster, D.D.S., M.M.Sc., Dean of the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery and Dr. Peter Wang, associate clinical professor of dentistry, is a part of Columbia SDOS’s continuing mission to address oral health problems through groundbreaking bioscience-based research and innovative approaches to delivery of care.
“Osaka Dental University is a highly regarded clinical and research institution and we are pleased to be working with them. Both institutions will benefit from the important partnership,” said Dr. Lamster. “There is a growing recognition that important oral healthcare problems exist throughout the world, and that oral infections can be risk factors for systemic diseases. Only by working across international borders will we be able to address this problem.”
Students from Osaka Dental University are expected to come to Columbia’s SDOS to participate in training and ongoing research for six months to a year. Columbia plans to participate in the exchange by sending faculty and students to Japan for education and research programs.
PHOTO: Osaka Dental University President Dr. Hisao Imai presents a gift to Dr. Ira Lamster, dean of Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery.