UWC Dentistry Deputy-Dean Prof Razia Adam completed the 2025 Global Oral Health Leadership (GOHL) Residency, held in Boston, Massachusetts, in the USA. Image supplied.

New connections were made when a senior academic from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) earned international recognition after completing the 2025 Global Oral Health Leadership (GOHL) Residency in Boston, Massachusetts, in the USA.

In April, Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of Research at the Faculty of Dentistry, Prof Razia Adam, participated in a programme hosted by the International College of Dentists (ICD), King’s College, Henry Schein, and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

The programme brought together emerging oral health leaders from around the world for intensive training in leadership, systems thinking, and health equity. Prof Adam was the only South African academic and one of two academics from Africa. 

Prof Adam said: “The course has not only sharpened my leadership tools but has also renewed my commitment to equity, humility, and collaboration, especially in addressing the persistent oral health inequalities that continue to affect billions globally.”

UWC Dentistry Deputy-Dean Prof Razia Adam with the cohort who completed the 2025 Global Oral Health Leadership (GOHL) Residency, held in Boston, Massachusetts, in the USA. Image: Supplied

She said she is excited to share her learnings and experiences with colleagues and students. 

“Being among peers from diverse regions, backgrounds, and health systems reinforced a powerful truth: we already have many of the solutions, we just need to share more, listen better, and act together.”

Prof Adam added: “I am excited to apply these insights and maintain the momentum as we work toward improving oral health outcomes globally. This residency marks not an end, but a beginning to collaborative efforts with my new global network of colleagues.”

This residency is not an academic programme but an experiential leadership development opportunity. It includes action planning and culminates in a commitment to ongoing mutual support among participants. 

The participants will now work in groups, and Prof Adam will assist in research looking at the education and the development of the oral health workforce, and how that can contribute to alleviating the burden of oral health disease.

Thumbnail image: Katarzyna Zygnerska on Unsplash