Skip Navigation and Go To Content

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, IAU Saudi Arabia agree to institutional collaboration

Published: January 15, 2025 by Kyle Rogers

Two men stand at a signing ceremony.
UTHealth Houston Senior Vice President of Academic and Faculty Affairs Kevin Morano, PhD (left), signed a memorandum of understanding alongside IAU Acting President Fahad Ahmed Al-Harbi, DScD, MSD, CAGS.
Woman accepts a gift on stage.
Sudarat Kiat-amnuay, DDS, MS, professor and UTHealth Houston International Scholarship Training Program director, delivered the keynote speech at the 16th Annual Dental Symposium of Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University.
Large group of individuals stand shoulder to shoulder for a photo on stage.
International Scholarship Training Program graduates of the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry Advanced Education in General Dentistry with ITSP Program Director Sudarat Kiat-amnuay, DDS, MS.

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry and Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University (IAU) of Saudi Arabia have agreed to establish a collaborative exchange in areas of interest and benefit to both institutions.

In December 2024, the two universities signed a memorandum of understanding to promote teaching, research, and clinical activities between the respective institutions. As part of the initial agreement, UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry will mentor IAU’s College of Dentistry in establishing an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency program that aligns with U.S. standards.

The collaborative agreement is through the International Scholarship Training Program, more commonly referred to as ISTP, under the direction of Professor Sudarat Kiat-amnuay, DDS, MS, who served as the School of Dentistry’s AEGD program director for 12 years.

“This agreement will help fulfill our UTHealth School of Dentistry mission to ‘improve human health by providing high-quality education, patient care, service, and research in oral health for Texas, the nation, and the world,’ and help brand our school and UTHealth Houston,” Kiat-amnuay said. “IAU is expected to receive world-class support for their strategic vision to become a leading health care institution in the Gulf Country. Both schools and their people will share knowledge and learn cultural competency as global citizens.”

UTHealth Houston Senior Vice President of Academic and Faculty Affairs Kevin Morano, PhD, signed the agreement alongside IAU Acting President Fahad Ahmed Al-Harbi, DScD, MSD, CAGS. The signing event occurred during the IAU 16th Annual Dental Symposium in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, where over 800 people were in attendance. Also present was IAU College of Dentistry Dean and Dental Hospital CEO Jehan Alhumaid, DScD, MA, CAGS, whose leadership has fostered this international academic partnership.

UTHealth Houston delegates included Morano; Kristina Tebo, MD, assistant vice president of global health initiatives; Robert Spears, PhD, MS, associate dean for student and academic affairs at the School of Dentistry; and Kiat-amnuay, who also served as the conference’s keynote speaker. She presented “Prosthodontic Driven Implant Rehabilitation: From Planning to Restoring of 1-21 Implants.”

Several School of Dentistry ISTP AEGD graduates and a current resident were in attendance, including Abdulrahman Alsulaimi, BDS, MHPE, EdD, who helped orchestrate the agreement with IAU; Yousif German, DDS, MPH, ABGD; Moayad Alamri, BDS; ABGD, FAGD; Murad Alrashdi, BDS, MS; Rabeh AlEnazy, BDS; Alaa Kabbarah, BDS, MSc.; and Fatima Abushal, BDS. As part of the visit, the alumni enjoyed a memorable reunion dinner with their former program director and UTHealth Houston leaders.

During the visit, delegates toured IAU’s state-of-the-art facilities, including its advanced dental hospital and medical city. They engaged in discussions with the president and deans from the health sciences colleges, including the IAU College of Dentistry and the College of Medicine, exploring opportunities for collaboration and academic exchanges. The visit also included tours of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture and the Heritage Museum, and a gala at the Sunset Beach Resort, fostering deeper connections between both institutions.

IAU is one of the leading universities in Eastern Providence, with its College of Dentistry being the first in the region. Established in 2001, the College of Dentistry ranks first nationally and 14th globally by QS World University Rankings.

ISTP, which aims to train scholarship international dentists to serve populations in the U.S. and internationally, was established as an AEGD pilot program in 2010 with the support of the School of Dentistry and UTHealth Houston administration. In 2019, ISTP was approved by the university to expand to all School of Dentistry residency programs. Participating accredited programs include two primary care general residency programs (AEGD and General Practice Residency) and advanced education programs in endodontics, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, periodontics, and prosthodontics. In 2024, ISTP was approved by the university to expand to all UTHealth Houston schools.

ISTP has reached agreements with the Kuwait Ministry of Health (2012), the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (2014), and Khon Kaen University (2018) Mahidol University (2023) in Thailand.

site var = sod