A decade of collaboration

By Rachel Boutet

In October 2014, professor Daniel Haas, then dean of the Faculty, went to Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa University to determine how U of T could collaborate with the program there. This fall, more than a decade later, Haas returned from his most recent trip, reflecting on the incredible changes he’s witnessed over the past 10 years.

“I remember my first visit well – when we got to the dental school, although they had new equipment, they did not yet have electricity to power the units,” he says. “I could immediately see the challenges they faced and wanted to know how we could get involved to help. We knew part of the issue was their physical space but also that the country did not yet have dentists who were trained to teach at the school.”

The Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (TAAAC) is a non-for-profit partnership supported by the leadership of Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the University of Toronto, with 11 participating faculties, institutes and divisions. U of T Dentistry entered the collaboration with the goal of creating a self-sustaining knowledge transfer with Faculty.

Since 2014, Haas has been back several other times, with the most recent being his fifth trip. Over the years, he’s worked closely with assistant professor Joel Rosenbloom, TAAAC program director and the director of student life at the Faculty, to help build the program, with the philosophy of teaching at its core.

“Our role has always been teaching versus just patient treatment – care is always provided in a teaching manner,” says Haas. “The goal is capacity building – teach the teachers.”

The Faculty has donated equipment over the years as well. Rosenbloom notes that while they are there to teach, it’s really become an exchange of knowledge over the years.

“I always take the lead from the school and tailor our lectures and teaching to what the faculty and students request,” he says. “We have learned how they function with such limited resources and still do incredible work. I often remind myself that we have to shelve our own thoughts on what we see and think should be done, allowing them to decide their own. And I always leave feeling inspired as an instructor – I think our students feel the same way.”

"This experience reminded us that true excellence in dentistry comes from curiosity, determination, and heart, all of which they have in abundance"

Each year, two DDS4 students spend two weeks at AAU to help enhance peer-to-peer learning in endodontics, pediatric, and restorative dentistry, and participate in hands-on preclinical exercises. Students also take part in small group seminars and lectures focusing on didactic restorative, radiology, and endodontics.

This year, Noor Saiyed and Caryn Qian were the students selected this year.

"While resources and infrastructure may be limited at times, the students and staff are incredibly smart, efficient, and resourceful with what they have,” they both agreed. “The students are deeply grateful for every opportunity to learn and grow within the profession. This experience reminded us that true excellence in dentistry comes from curiosity, determination, and heart, all of which they have in abundance.”

On his most recent trip, Haas met with assistant professor Wondwossen Fantaye, a collegial partner in 2014, and now, a friend.

“The collaboration has played a vital role in strengthening our department's teaching and training capacities,” says Fantaye of the academic partnership.

"The collaboration has played a vital role in strengthening our department's teaching and training capacities"

There is discussion of a partnership centred more around dental specialties – AAU currently only has oral and maxillofacial surgery capabilities. The focus is and will continue to be on capacity building so that more patients can get the care they need.

“Addis Ababa has changed a lot over the years – both the city and the university,” says Haas. “I’ve been fortunate to watch the dental school progress and I look forward to more changes in the coming years.”

Top photo: TAAAC Dentistry ’25 team with Hope for Korah team, a licensed Non-Governmental Organization with the Ethiopian Government (Caryn Qian)