FKG UGM continues to contribute to the nation through a summer course themed, "Smart Digital Health Technology: Shaping the Future Education and Clinical Practice in Dentistry," in collaboration with the Biomedical Engineering Program of the Faculty of Engineering UGM. The event, from Monday, 14 August to 20 August 2023, is attended by nearly 90 international students and was inaugurated by UGM Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching, Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, S.S., M.Hum., DEA
Ten dental faculties from ASEAN and Japan are participating in this summer course, which FKG UGM initiated for the third time. These include Universiti Malaya (Malaysia), Universiti Sains Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia, Khon Kaen University (Thailand), Thammasat University (Thailand), Universiti Brunei Darussalam, University of the Philippines, University Centro Escolar Makati Philippines, Universiti Yangon Mandalay (Myanmar), and Tokushima University (Japan). The opening ceremony and MoA signing were attended by three deans and one vice dean from four partner institutions.
In her address, Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, S.S., M.Hum., DEA. expressed her hope that this summer course can be held annually and lead to other collaborative efforts in research and publications—furthermore, the Dean of FKG UGM, Drg. Suryono, Ph.D, S.H., MM, in his presentation, invited all attending deans to elevate the prestige of dental science in ASEAN and increase its impact on society. During the Dean’s Forum held after the opening ceremony, the 10 attending deans, both in person and online, he was agreed to continue cooperation within ASEAN to strengthen the global exposure of dental education.
As the primary initiator of this event, FKG UGM hopes to play a significant role in enhancing Indonesia's position on the international stage, particularly within ASEAN. This aligns with Indonesia's mission as the ASEAN Chairmanship to direct ASEAN cooperation in 2023 to maintain and strengthen ASEAN’s relevance in responding to regional and global challenges and to solidify ASEAN's position as the regional economic growth center for the prosperity of ASEAN people.
Other activities during the Summer Course also involve active student participation in various events throughout the week. Students are given opportunities to present in groups and share other creative ideas. This contribution supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. The competition in the Summer Course activities aligns with efforts to increase the competitiveness of higher education as a target in achieving this goal.
Another activity for Summer Course participants is Community Service, conducted directly at SDN Tawangharjo. This activity allows students to interact directly with the community and make a tangible contribution to improving dental and oral health among school children. This supports achieving Good Health and Well-Being (Goal 3) by enhancing the Healthy Living Movement as one of its pillars. The hope is that through this dental education activity, a healthy generation will be created, free from dental diseases, and growing into a productive generation that contributes to the efforts to eradicate poverty (Goal 1).
