{"id":4590,"date":"2025-05-29T11:18:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T10:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/?p=4590"},"modified":"2025-05-29T11:18:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T10:18:14","slug":"global-bridges-in-oral-health-manchester-led-initiatives-drive-change-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/2025\/05\/29\/global-bridges-in-oral-health-manchester-led-initiatives-drive-change-in-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Bridges in Oral Health: Manchester-Led Initiatives Drive Change in Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In a powerful demonstration of global partnership and post-conflict renewal, The University of Manchester (UoM), in collaboration with the Manchester Foundation Trust (MFT), has marked a major milestone in its Global South engagement strategy through a suite of innovative oral health initiatives in northern Sri Lanka.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spearheaded by Professor Raj Ariyaratnam from the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, this ambitious programme is driving lasting change in healthcare education and delivery\u2014while fostering deeper international collaboration.<\/p>\n

Healing Through Education: CPD Programme in Jaffna<\/strong><\/p>\n

What began as a small educational initiative in the aftermath of Sri Lanka\u2019s civil conflict has evolved into a cornerstone of dental professional development in the Jaffna region. Launched in 2011, the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme is now in its 15th year, having trained and mentored dozens of local professionals\u2014including five newly qualified oral health consultants.<\/p>\n

During the most recent visit, Professor Ariyaratnam delivered a guest lecture and formally proposed the establishment of a landmark\u00a0Institute of Oral Health Care Sciences<\/em>\u00a0(IOHCS) in northern Sri Lanka\u2014an idea that has garnered enthusiastic local support.<\/p>\n

New Horizons: The Institute of Oral Health Care Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n

Set to launch later this year, the IOHCS will serve as a centre for education, research, and global cooperation in oral health. Backed by The University of Manchester, the University of Jaffna, and the Northern Health Services, the institute will work to improve regional oral health outcomes and provide a hub for future academic exchanges.<\/p>\n

Planning meetings held in March brought together university leaders, health officials, and diaspora representatives. The institute will be funded in part by Sri Lankan dental professionals abroad, reflecting a strong commitment from the wider global community.<\/p>\n

Inspiring the Next Generation: Community Outreach in Jaffna<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"St<\/a><\/p>\n

St Johns College<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As part of the visit, Professor Ariyaratnam returned to his alma mater, St. John\u2019s College in Jaffna, to deliver a motivational lecture titled\u00a0\u201cRedefining Education for the 21st Century \u2013 Transforming Student Learning.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0The college, which celebrated its 200th anniversary last year, has launched a new initiative focused on social responsibility and community engagement.<\/p>\n

Thanks to support from the Faculty, the school now awards annual\u00a0Social Responsibility Awards<\/em>\u00a0to students who demonstrate exceptional civic leadership. Each winner receives a medal and certificate signed by the university, further strengthening the bond between institutions.<\/p>\n

Building Academic Bridges: Partnership with University of Peradeniya<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Kandy, the University of Peradeniya\u2014Sri Lanka\u2019s premier dental education institution\u2014is joining forces with Manchester to offer new opportunities for students and faculty alike. A draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was completed during the March visit, paving the way for joint research, shared curricula, and student exchanges.<\/p>\n

On-campus accommodation for Manchester visitors was reviewed and approved, and the first cohort of alumni dentists will begin their placements this summer. Undergraduate exchanges are set to begin with the next academic year, giving students a rare chance to engage in hands-on learning abroad.<\/p>\n

A Vision for Global Health Equity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Together, these projects underscore the power of long-term academic partnerships and socially conscious global engagement. By combining educational innovation with a focus on community impact, the Faculty is helping to rebuild a region still recovering from conflict\u2014while offering its own students a unique window into global health challenges and solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis work isn\u2019t just about training dentists,<\/em>\u201d said Professor Ariyaratnam. \u201cIt\u2019s about healing communities, building trust, and showing how education can truly transform lives\u2014locally and globally.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

As the initiatives continue to grow, the University\u2019s commitment to global health, social justice, and transformative education stands stronger than ever.<\/p>\n

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In a powerful demonstration of global partnership and post-conflict renewal, The University of Manchester (UoM), in collaboration with the Manchester Foundation Trust (MFT), has marked a major milestone in its Global South engagement strategy through a suite of innovative oral health initiatives in northern Sri Lanka.Spearheaded by Professor Raj Ariyaratnam from the Faculty of Biology, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7645,"featured_media":4591,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equality-diversity-and-inclusion-edi","category-global-health-gh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7645"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4590"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4590\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4594,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4590\/revisions\/4594"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}