On August 27th, Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM) proudly welcomed a delegation from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), a leading health sciences university in South Africa providing professional training and education in a range of fields through excellence in teaching, learning, innovative research, and community engagement. The SMU mission aligns well with TCDM, who is dedicated to conducting important educational and clinical research, while providing excellent dental health services to the public.
The visit marked an important opportunity to explore potential collaborations in dental education and healthcare initiatives between the two institutions. SMU representatives were particularly interested in learning about TCDM’s approach to training future dentists and its commitment to serving underrepresented populations.
Attendees from TCDM included David Katz, D.D.S., F.A.G.D., F.A.C.D. Vice Dean, Chairman of Dental Admissions, Associate Professor of Dental Medicine, and Director of Halachic Dentistry Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics NYMC, Golda Erdfarb, DDS, FACD, Course Director, Operative Dentistry and Dental Anatomy and Occlusion, and Saloman Amar, DDS, PhD, Provost for Bio Medical Research, Senior Vice President for Research Affairs, Vice Dean for Research, Professor of Dental Medicine. They were joined by Professor Muthuhadini Mawela, MBChC, MMed FCPaed, Acting Dean of the School of Dentistry, Professor Seheri Luyanda Mapaseka, Director of Research, Dr. Carlien Jooste, Director, Internationalization, and Associate Professor Douglas Maleka, Acting Dean of the School of Health Care Sciences of SMU.
TCDM students in attendance also included Daniel Abrkhaimov, vice president of the second year class and Kwadwo Ampofo, a third year student who is president of Touro’s chapter of Student National Dental Association.
“We were so happy to connect with our colleagues at SMU,” said Dr. Katz. “It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other, and we look forward to additional opportunities for partnerships here as well as in South Africa.”
TCDM was the only dental school visited by SMU during their trip, reflecting a strong interest in potential collaborations to advance health care and research projects for both schools and the larger medical community. During their time together, both institutions engaged in discussions on shared goals, including the potential for Touro students to visit the SMU campus and work alongside their peers in South Africa. This visit highlights a promising step toward future collaboration in dental education and global health initiatives
The SMU team was in the United States to build academic and research partnerships with colleges, universities, and nonprofits to improve health care for their local communities and to provide transformative education to their students. SMU maintains a critical role contributing to the evolution of the health sciences sector in South Africa while also making a meaningful contribution to the needs of the community it serves.
