Pan Pacific Joint Symposium: A Gateway to Transnational Dental Partnerships

On 20-21 May 2024, Prof. Stuart Dashper, A/Prof. Roy Judge, and Dr. Mohammed Al-Baadani attended the inaugural Pan Pacific Joint Symposium hosted by Seoul National University. This two-day event brought together senior and junior academics from Seoul National University (Korea), Peking University (China), University of Otago (New Zealand), Tokyo Medical and Dental University (Japan) and Melbourne Dental School. The key aim was to foster new relationships between the top-ranked dental schools in these countries.

During the meeting, it became apparent that each partner has significant capabilities in teaching and research that complement those of the other schools. Dr. Mohammed Al-Baadani presented a poster on his cutting-edge design and application of bioactive memory technologies. A/Prof. Roy Judge gave a lecture on the University of Melbourne's rectangular block implant, and Prof. Stuart Dashper provided an excellent overview of the wide range of translational research projects being undertaken at Melbourne Dental School.

Prof. Alastair Sloan led negotiations during the dean’s hybrid meeting, resulting in a plan to replicate this symposium format across each institution. This exciting programme includes events at Otago in 2025, Peking in 2026, Melbourne in 2027, and TMDU in 2028, driving cross-pollination among leading universities in the Asia-Pacific region.

We look forward to the opportunities these collaborations will bring and thank everyone involved for their contributions.