UM ACCREDITED AS DENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE BY RCS ENGLAND

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaya (UM) has achieved a historic milestone, being accredited as a Dental Education Centre by the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), the first such recognition awarded globally.

The accreditation was formally conferred at the Diplomate Ceremony in London on March 25, attended by senior representatives from both institutions.

UM, in a statement today, said the award was presented by RCS England Faculty of Dental Surgery Dean Dr Charlotte Eckhardt to UM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs) Professor Dr Zamri Radzi, who represented the UM Vice-Chancellor,  and the Dean of the UM Faculty of Dentistry, Professor Dr Firdaus Hariri.

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UM described the recognition as a testament to its commitment to excellence in education, research and clinical training aligned with international benchmarks. It also opens the door for deeper collaboration with RCS England in areas such as academic exchange, clinical training and research innovation.

“This accreditation confirms that UM’s dental speciality doctoral programmes meet the Faculty of Dental Surgery’s rigorous academic and clinical standards. It is the first accreditation of its kind to be awarded by FDS anywhere in the world,” read the statement.

RCS England’s postgraduate programme accreditation is awarded to higher education institutions that demonstrate outstanding surgery-related educational provision, enabling collaboration to ensure high standards in surgical and dental education and training are consistently maintained.

The accreditation covers eight doctoral programmes, including orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, periodontology, and dental public health, among others, highlighting the university’s comprehensive and high-quality postgraduate offerings.

At the ceremony, Dr Eckhardt also conferred the fellowship in dental surgery on UM Deputy Deans (Postgraduate), Prof Wan Nurazreena Wan Hassan, in recognition of her role in initiating the accreditation and leadership in postgraduate dental education, as well as Prof Siti Adibah Othman for her contributions to the faculty and academic development.

In the same statement, Dr Zamri described the recognition from RCS England as a great honour for UM, noting that it reflects the university’s unwavering commitment to excellence in education, research and clinical training in line with international standards.

Meanwhile, Dr Firdaus said the accreditation affirms UM's commitment to high-quality dental education through rigorous academic standards, research excellence and patient-centred clinical training aligned with international benchmarks.

“We look forward to strengthening our partnership with RCS England in advancing academic collaboration, enhancing clinical training, driving research innovation and producing globally competent, ethically grounded dental specialists to improve oral healthcare regionally and internationally,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Eckhardt said RCS England is pleased to recognise UM’s Faculty of Dentistry for meeting the rigorous standards required for the accreditation, adding that the achievement reflects the strength of its programmes and commitment to excellence in dental education and training

-- BERNAMA