Delegation of staff and students from the University of Otago at the entrance of the West China School of Stomatology (WCSS).
A brief exchange to China has left University of Otago staff and students feeling empowered by the networking opportunity and the new insights learnings it provided, while being reassured of the high calibre of teaching and research offered by their home institution.
As part of the Faculty of Dentistry’s Immersion Programme, six Otago dental students flew to the West China School of Stomatology (WCSS) from 13-18 July to take part in an intensive learning and research programme.
They attended a series of lectures, observed clinical practice, and participated in hands-on simulation exercises at WCSS which is ranked 1st in China and 10th globally in the QS World University Rankings for Dentistry.
Participating students Julia Tan and Racheal Chen both say this time broadened their academic and clinical perspectives by providing valuable exposure to international approaches to dental education and patient care.
“Meeting other students and getting to experience education overseas was such an amazing experience,” Julia says.
“It reassured me in my decision to study at Otago because the collaboration between the institutions showed what it means to be leaders in dental education and student experience,” Racheal says.
The staff who led the exchange and joined the students on their trip to China were Professor Peter Mei, Professor Andrew Tawse-Smith and Dr Janine Cochrane.
They delivered presentations highlighting Otago's dental research and programmes, and engaged with WCSS academics to explore opportunities for collaboration in research, clinical services, patient care and hospital governance.
As Director of the Dental Hospital, Janine delivered two lectures on the Faculty's clinical governance. Meeting with senior nursing leaders and touring the Central Sterilising Services Centre and Dental Hospital, which supports 1.5 million patient appointments annually, provided insights into its large-scale operations and quality systems.
Andrew had two full-day academic sessions with prominent WCSS academics, while also participating in Implantology and Periodontology clinical presentations and research collaborations.
Peter participated in two full-day academic sessions with notable academics from the Orthodontic and Paediatric Departments, where discussions focused on future research and education collaborations.
Peter and Andrew were also keynote speakers in the Frontier Dental Research Forum, which explored topics including oral medicine, biomaterials, regenerative medicine, implantology, AI, and translational oral health research.
The delegation visited the Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Stomatology and its affiliated dental hospitals where they maximised academic collaborations, learnt about clinical service delivery, and observed advanced digital systems for patient screening, triage, and patient flow management.
“Though the time we spent in China was short, the staff and students taking part in this exchange programme benefit greatly from its impact,” Peter says.
“More than fostering collaborative learning and research initiatives, exchanges like this remind us that Otago isn’t alone in its desire to improve healthcare outcomes for the community. There are others out there who we can share insights with to help better not only ourselves but the global community as well.”
-Kōrero by Kelsey Swart, Division of Health Sciences Communications Adviser
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