In the name of Allah the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate, I would like to offer a warm welcome to our distinguished guests. We are pleased to host this event in the presence of researchers and specialists from a number of institutions from the UAE and elsewhere. I trust that this event will provide an opportunity for the eminent speakers, as well as to academics and clinicians, to exchange expertise and enrich their experience in dental care, as well as providing a showcase for their latest research.

As you will know, this conference has the theme ‘Advancing Excellence in Dental Care,’ and it is organized by the College of Dentistry in Ajman University of Science and Technology (AUST) in cooperation with the Faculty of Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, under the umbrella of the Innovative Medical Environment within which we organize all our medical events.

We at AUST believe in the effectiveness of such events, as they present cutting edge practices and techniques in oral care for patients, and lead the way towards better patient management. In this way they contribute to the advancement of dentistry. AUST’s College of Dentistry was the first of its kind in the UAE when it began offering accredited programs in the year 2000. Since that time it has succeeded in fulfilling dozens of projects and initiatives in academia, and serving the community by providing oral care to more than 100,000 patients.

Likewise, the University has since its inception in 1988 taken several steps to qualitatively strengthen relations with regional and international centers of excellence and expertise. Such an approach is very much in line with our comprehensive vision, in which the priority is given to excellence and quality, rather than quantity. We regard the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland as being one of the elite institutions of Europe, and we take this opportunity to express our pride in our partnership and collaboration with it. We believe that we have a number of shared values and principles: teaching, training, research, expertise and practice. These are the fundamentals upon which we have built the foundations of the University. It is our three dimensional vision – education, information and investment - that has enlightened our endeavors and contributed to the institution’s achievements thus far.

However, the eclectic approach we have adopted has contributed to the establishment of an innovative environment with a difference. Such an environment offers its members the facilities necessary for marketing research and showcasing their skills. Our ultimate objective as a University is to share the benefits of our endeavors not only with our direct community, but also to go beyond those bounds and serve the wider community regionally and internationally in cooperation with other research and scientific institutions.

To conclude, it is my hope that each delegate at this conference is able to take away with them something of benefit. I wish that it will be a fruitful time for you all, and that many practical advances in excellence in dental care may be made. I extend my sincere thanks to our valued guests, participants, sponsors, and organizing committee members, and to all those who have contributed to ensure the success of this event.

Thank you.

H.E. Dr. Saeed Abdullah Salman

President, Ajman University of Science and Technology Network