AUSTRALIAN AHHA DENTAL TEAM VISITS UP FOR THREE PACKED DAYS

The Australian Health Humanitarian Aid (AHHA) is an Australian non-profit charity.

It has eye and dental teams which have been providing free eye and dental treatment in Cambodia since 2015. They also provide education for dental students and local health professionals.

In August the AHHA team returned to Cambodia for the first time since Covid-19. Following several months of organizing at both ends, the AHHA team arrived on 4 August and began setting up at UP’s Dental Hospital for the 3 day mission.

This year the AHHA dental team had 10 dentists, 3 dental assistants, 2 admin staff, 4 students and 1 paediatrician, and was led by Paediatric Dentist Dr Michele Tjeuw. AHHA provided all the dental materials and some additional dental equipment.

Most of the dental care was provided by about 150 dental students from the University of Puthisastra who were supervised by the Australian dentists who also treated the more difficult cases.

Over 3 days, the UP-AHHA dental team saw approximately 500 disadvantaged patients, including 162 severely disabled children and monks from a pagoda.

13 organisations participated in the project. They included: Champa Village, Rabbit School (Disabled Centre), Kampong Chnang Snuk Tru Village, Buttom Thamayuth Pagoda, New Hope, Children Development Cambodia, Mekong Orphanage Centre, CICA, Domnork Therk (Disabled Centre), Floating Village, Prahauen Samakithor Pagoda, New Family (Disabled Centre), Som-Rong-Thom Village, and Kampong Loung.

AHHA was assisted over the 3 days by UP staff and some volunteers from the National Bank of Cambodia. Their support was acknowledged during a visit by HE Dr Chea Serey, Governor of the National Bank who spent an hour at UP talking to some of the disabled children, their families and caregivers, and the AHHA team. UP was also very pleased to welcome Princess Norodom Arunrasmy, who had arranged for some disadvantaged people to receive dental care.

On Monday afternoon, three of the AHHA dentists presented some interesting clinical cases to a packed lecture hall for the dental students.

The AHHA visit was a huge success, and we look forward to their return in 2024.

A huge thanks to all the AHHA team: Dr Michele Tjeuw (team leader), Christine Nguyen, Dr Hung Tran, Dr Hong Du (Paediatrician), Dr Anthony Lamb, Dr Steven Doan, Dr Joseph Do, Dr Thien (Tim) Huynh, Dr Lo-An Vu, Dr Alan Fitzpatrick, Dr Ryan Tsang, Dr Danielle Tsang, Maria Hang Tran, Suk Ting Ng, Ruba Abdul Razaq, Hannah Yap, Connor Fitzpatrick, Bethany Nguyen, Eunice Tsang, Le Cao.

UP DEPUTY DEAN APPOINTED AS COUNTRY ADVISOR TO THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS ENGLAND

In August 2023, Prof. Anand Marya was appointed as country advisor for the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Prof. Anand’s term will commence from 01 September 2023 for a period of three years.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an extremely prestigious independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. Its origins date back to the 14th century with the foundation of the “Guild of Surgeons Within the City of London”

Country Advisors act as key points of contact for members, both in the relevant country and in the UK. They will support the work of their Global Surgical Advisor by implementing regional priorities at country level, identifying opportunities for engagement, project collaborations and membership development.

The College has a global multidisciplinary membership, supporting 30,000 members in the UK and internationally by improving their surgical skills and knowledge, facilitating research, setting standards and developing policy and guidance. Almost 25% of its members reside outside the UK in approximately 100 countries around the world. In addition, many members are engaged in a diverse range of international projects and collaborations, which include global surgical trials, capacity building initiatives to strengthen surgical care systems and overseas faculty training and development.

Getting selected as a member or fellow of the Royal College is a huge honour and we hope more UP graduates and faculty apply to be a part of this historic institution.

DENRICH EXCHANGE PROGRAM TO JAPAN A BIG SUCCESS

Recently three Year 7 dental students (Chhim Chamroeun, Hen Sopheakta, Kean Sereypanhaneath) and two lecturers (Dr Heng Rithi and Mr Andrew Sinclair) from the University of Puthisastra Dental Faculty visited Japan for the annual Denriche Exchange Programme.

During the trip we visited Yoh Dental Clinic, Nagata Dental Clinic and Bells Dental Clinic where they were made very welcome and were given the chance to look around the clinics and watch some procedures being carried out.

Special visits were also organised to the factories of GC Fuji and Morita, which are two of Japan’s largest dental materials and equipment manufacturers.

The Shinkansen (Bullet train) then took us to Osaka where we joined the Osaka Dental Expo. On display was some of the latest dental equipment which is currently for sale. The Cambodian and Denrich teams were able to join a lecture given by our very own Professor Anand Marya who had been invited to be a guest speaker by the organisers. At the Expo we were also shown how Artificial Intelligence is able to play its part in modern dentistry.

Everyone on the trip had a wonderful experience and we are grateful to the many people who were willing to share their knowledge and experience with us which we can now pass on to our fellow students, tutors and staff. We would especially like to thank Dr Kawamoto, Dr Suzuki, Dr Nagata and Dr Kitazawa (who took the week off work to drive us around), Kaiseikai and Denriche for making everyone feel so welcome and for looking after us.

And a very big special thank you to Ms Ai Yamazaki who organised everything, made sure we were in the right place at the right time, and ensured that we all had the most amazing experience in Japan! Without her we would not have done as much as we did.

Two Year-4 Medical Students Participated in the 21st International Muslim Medical Student Camp in Malaysia

Two year-4 medical students, Mr. Mit Nurotin and Ms. Ry Liyana, went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to participate for one week in the 21st International Muslim Medical Student Camp, under the program “Muslim Medical Professionals: Contemporary Challenges and Solutions”. The program was joined by medical students from 19 countries.

Mr. Nurotin mentioned that the camp was an enriching experience for him and Ms Liyana, as they participated in many workshops and attended various lectures and were given advice on how to become excellent doctors with a great attitude, stick on the right path of mindset in the face of current ethics behavioral changes, and build a better society, contributing to health community service.

UP attends workshop at University Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia

On August 12, 2023, four UP pharmacy students of the Faculty of Pharmacy, , who attended the summer course in Indonesia, held a workshop on sharing their experiences in Indonesia. This workshop was attended by nearly 100 pharmacy students.

The purpose of this workshop is also to share
1. Sharing knowledge and experience for 3-week activities at the University Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia.
2. Introduce internship activities at various institutions

Abundance of research and modernization of equipment at Faculty of Pharmacy.
/h2>

Study combined with practice is an important foundation for students. At the same time, the Faculty of Pharmacy has contributed to the vision of the University of Puthisastra to improve the capacity of students in the health sector, especially the field of medicine. With the richness of research and modernization of equipment, students will have more opportunities to express their abilities and hidden potential.

UP Dental Students Attend the APDSA Annual Congress 2023 in Bali

The Asia Pacific Dental Students Association (APDSA) Annual Congress is an annual event that brings together dental students from APDSA member nations in the Asia Pacific region. Every year, more than 400 students, Professors and new graduates from more than 17 countries attend the congress.

This year, the APDSA Annual Congress 2023 was held from 1st until 5th August in Bali, Indonesia. The local organizing committee did a wonderful job which made the event a great success. There were almost 400 participants who came from all over the Asia Pacific region including Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan to attend the congress.

Among all the participants there were three UP year-6 dental students, Mak Sangdor, Duy Ratha and Yeng Monyvorak. They were amazed by the host country’s warm hospitality and excellent organization of the event. They not only gained new knowledge from the interesting lectures and hands-on workshops, but were able to build networks and share in the cultures of the different countries in the Asia Pacific region. </p.

The program was divided into many activities over four days. Day one: Opening ceremony and welcome reception. Day two: Dental quiz competition, research competition, exhibition, night tour. Day three: workshop, Alumni forum. Day four: Optional tour, cultural night, closing ceremony, Day five: farewell, post-conference tour.

There will an APDSA mid-term meeting in December for some alumni and the Board in Malaysia which will include taking part in the Lend-a-Hand community outreach project. Next year the annual APDSA meeting will be in Bangkok in August, and a big turnout from Cambodia is expected.

Medical Laboratory Technology Students’ Internship in 2023

On August 14, 2023, third-year students majoring in Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences and Biotechnology, the University of Puthisastra began their internship in the Medical Laboratory of public and private UP’s partner and hospitals. Those partners include Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC), Sunrise Japan Hospital Phnom Penh, and VS Medical Laboratory located in Phnom Penh, which is led by faculty member.
The internship will last for three months (Full-time-time Shift) which started from August 14, 2023, to November 04, 2023.
For more information about the program: Please contact us via the telegram group ADL Information UP (https://t.me/+3elkZJiyV-BmOTZl)

Invitation to Join the Workshop on “Writing Research Proposals”

The Faculty of Health Sciences and Biotechnology of the University of Puthisastra would like to invite UP students and staff to join in a special introductory workshop on the topic of “Writing Research Proposals”. This workshop is organized to assist undergraduate and graduate students to learn more and have a better understanding of Writing a research proposal for a bachelor’s thesis project.

The workshop will be led by Dr. Kaing Sokheng from the University of Health Sciences, Cambodia and Master of Tropical Medicine from Khon Kaen University, Thailand.

Registration is free, but pre-registration is required.

Registration link: https://shorturl.at/zBTW7

Workshop Date: September 16 2023 10:00 AM -12: 00 PM. Venue: “Hall B”, University of Puthisastra

Nursing continues Community Practicum Presentation

On August 25, 2023, 4 groups of 3rd year bachelor degree students of Nursing presented the results related to data collection, interviews on health and environmental issues, living in the community, who went to collect information at Prek Ray village, Prek Ray commune, Lvea Em district, Kandal province for three days.After collecting the data, the four groups of students analyzed the data collected, such as the number of families, the number of awareness related to eating, the number of awareness related to the environment, etc., which students were interviewed in The four groups of students prioritized health issues and topics in education in order to improve health and health care skills in the community in Prek Ray village, Prek Rai commune, Lavear district, Lvea Em district, Kandal province.

DENTAL NATIONAL CURRICULUM MEETING

UP was well represented at a recent 3-day workshop on the new National Dental Curriculum which is presently under review. The meeting was attended by the TWG from UHS and the NIPH, plus representatives from the other dental schools, the Cambodian Dental Association, the Cambodian Dental Council, and the Ministry of Health.

Professor Krassanai Wangrangsimakul, the World Bank international consultant from Thailand gave several presentations on syllabus, competency based curriculum, modular based curriculum, and course learning outcomes. He is the former Dean of Prince of Songkla University and an ex-officio member of the Southeast Asian Association of Dental Education (SEAADE) of which UP is a member.

UP’s Assistant Prof. Soeun Sopharith was appointed to be the Head of Module 1 (Scientific Foundation for Dental Practice).

Several of those present at the meeting have strong UP connections including Dr. Kong Kalyan (presently on leave from her position as Assistant Dean), and UP lecturers including Dr. Bich Sothea, Dr. Chum Chenda, Dr. Huy Chandarong and Ms. Chi Dany.

For each course in the curriculum, a working group has been set up which will meet and develop the course content, learning objectives and competencies. UP has many lecturers in these working groups, and will be leading some of them.

UP is very happy to have the opportunity to contribute to the process of developing the new national dental curriculum and looks forward to working with colleagues from other places in the coming months.

Cambodia-France National Scout Friendship Camp at Kirirom National Park under the theme: Scouts love the environment

During August 19-20, 2023, UP Rover and French Scouts attended Cambodia-France National Scout Friendship Camp at Kirirom National Park under the theme: “Scouts love the environment”.
The purpose of this camp is to
• Create opportunities for young peoples to express their abilities and communication with foreign scouts
• Establish friendship between the Cambodian National Scouts and the French Scouts
• Provide knowledge related to camping and first aid to camp members
• Share knowledge on the effects of plastic
• Exchange of experiences between the youth of the two countries.

Fruitful discussion on the collaboration between Faculty of ICT and TUX Global Institute

The Faculty of ICT and TUX Global Institute had a discussion and learn about each other for the collaboration and the potential for the future collaboration. The discussion ended up what a principal agreement to develop the official MOU between the University of Puthisastra- Faculty of ICT and the TUX Global Institute.

The Faculty of ICT and the Kyong Dong University of Korea had a discussion for the future

The Faculty of ICT and the Kyong Dong University of Korea had a discussion for the potential academic collaboration that can be done together. This collaboration would improve our academic service and opportunities for our students.

The collaboration includes conducting the workshop/seminar, exchange lecturer, exchange student, exchange programs or sharing sessions for the specific topics. The discussion is now on the process of making the MOU between both of the universities for these potential collaborations.

UP FACULTY INVITED AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER IN JAPAN

In the 1st week of August 2023, Prof. Anand Marya, the UP Head of Orthodontics, was invited as a Keynote speaker at the Osaka Dentistry Expo held in Osaka Japan.

The Osaka dentistry expo was one of the biggest events organized in Japan this year with over 3000 registrations and was a very well attended event. The expo was held from the 4th to the 6th of August and had 50 well known speakers from around the world speaking at the event. Prof. Anand was invited to speak on the topic: the role of artificial intelligence and XR technology in helping improve orthodontic education and treatment outcomes.

Prof. Anand has been working on XR technology with a Japanese company to develop AI based holographic models from actual patient CBCT’s. These models can be utilized in the future for educational and treatment planning purposes.

This month UP Dental Hospital has four great specials for our valued customers. Please come in for a free checkup so we can explain more.

1.Tooth whitening – we are offering our home tooth whitening sets with a 10% discount. The normal price is $50 (treated by a dental student) and $80 (treated by a UP dentist). This is less than half price of some other dental clinics.

2.Free implants with crown – for patients needing implants, the UP Dental Hospital can offer these for FREE if provided by an overseas dentist attending a course in implantology at UP. You will be checked first to see whether you meet the requirements.

3.Free wisdom tooth removal – carried out by an overseas dentist attending a hands-on course in wisdom tooth removal at UP.

4.Approximately 50% discount on braces (orthodontics) – you will be treated by a qualified dentist doing a postgraduate course in orthodontics at UP. The price of $500 includes the treatment provided over a 2-3- year period, with monthly visits for checkups and adjustments. Kindly note that payments can be spread out, so you might only pay as little as $50 per month.

If you are interested in ANY of the above services, please make an initial appointment by calling our receptionist on +855 12 414 563 or +855 98 414 563 or you can book appointment at https://healthcenter.puthisastra.edu.kh/book-appointment

UP TO HOLD FIRST DENTAL ASSISTANT COURSE SINCE BEFORE COVID

UP is set to hold the first dental assistant course in Cambodia since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-day course will be held In September and October, and will be led by Pekina Norodom, a registered dental hygienist from the United States.

Dental Assisting A to Z is a one-day workshop offering a focused dental assisting workshop encompassing both didactics (lectures) and hands-on experience. This course is open for those who have some dental knowledge or some dental assisting experience. It will enhance their knowledge and skills. The course will have a hands-on component, where participants will get to practice the skills they learn.

UP is working towards developing a comprehensive dental assistant course, but this one-day course is a stepping stone to that goal. The university hopes that the course will help to improve the knowledge and skills of dental assistants in Cambodia and ultimately improve the quality of dental care in the country. Please forward this information to the dental assistants who will benefit from this course.

Another Successful MDC Mission Completed!

On the 19th of August the MDC (Mobile Dental Club) led a group of UP dental students from years 2,3 5 and year 6 to provide dental services for the children at the REACH NGO in Siem Reap province.

The team applied Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) to the 170 disadvantaged children (to arrest any caries present), and also provided oral health education to raise their awareness about the importance of oral health and how good oral health can be achieved. At the end of the mission, all the participating dental students received a certificate. The students enjoyed the experience of seniors and juniors working together as a team, and also benefited from practicing some basic dental skills.

MDC would like to thank the UP Faculty of Dentistry, REACH NGO, Rotaract of Phnom Penh Central, and Coffee Box for their support for this mission.

Training on “Strategies for Creating an Inclusive Classroom” by QLTS

QLTS-Learning and Teaching Team has provided training related to teaching methodologies on the topic “Strategies for Creating an Inclusive Classroom” on August 25, 2023. This training was attended by lecturers and support staff from the Faculty of English and Employability, the Faculty of Pharmacy, and the QLTS Department. The training aims to contribute to the big benefits of adopting an inclusive learning context and numerous pragmatic techniques to employ it well in teaching and learning.

As a matter of fact, creating an inclusive classroom environment will help maximize the teaching potential of educators and have a huge impact on student learning outcomes, such as increasing the learning success of all students, creating a learning environment that is welcoming, tolerant, and understanding, preparing learners for the real-world learning context, and fostering a sense of belonging for all students to engage in learning and feel motivated to succeed via collaboration, respect, and empathy.

During the training, participants were interactive with the activities provided, and they actively shared experiences and techniques they have been adopting in their daily teaching with each other for the sake of improving the quality of education not only within UP but in Cambodia as a whole.

Student Mission

UP Student Mission to Chroy Changva Primary School

UP has organized the mission for our nursing and dentistry students on August 10, 2023 to apply their theoretical lesson into practical work experience with primary school students.

Specifically, the student mission aims to provide basic oral healthcare to prevent tooth decay and maintain healthy teeth habits, correct ways of hand sanitizing and teeth checkup to clean and apply fluoride on the cavities.

Meanwhile, our students have learned a lot of good lessons and made good relationships, love and compassion with the primary school students.

UP Yoga Club

UP creates clubs to help support students – as well as supporting students during their studies. This Yoga club will run from July until the end of 2023. Having this club helps students to interact with UP and their university mates.

The goal is to encourage mental peace and clarity among University of Puthisastra students while also relieving stress and focusing their attention.

Yoga is an age-old discipline that calls for physical postures, mental focus, and deep breathing. In order to give students a break, care for their well-being, and help them meet new people. UP Yoga club is open every Tuesday, Thursday evening and Saturday morning. The location is the UP Club room. All UP students can join and it is free of charge.

*For UP lecturers or staffs that want to run a club please contact Student Services or Scan here to write your proposal.

UP Movie Club

Another club for UP students to have a good time, release stress and make friends with other students in the University.

This movie club will run from July until the end of 2023. Having this club helps students to interact with UP and their college mates. FREE popcorn awaits, but feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks to level up the fun with your buddies. It’s time to gather ’round and soak up the cinematic awesomeness!

UP Movie Club is shown every month during lunch time. The location for this club is in Hall H.