RSDM Becomes First American Institution to Join Ibero-American Assembly

Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) has been invited to join the International Federation of Dental Schools and Faculties (FIEFO), becoming the first American institution to be admitted into the international consortium. This partnership underscores the school’s growing global influence in dental education, research, and community-based care.

“Rutgers’ incorporation into FIEFO represents a historic milestone,” said FIEFO’s president Estuardo Mata Castillo, who is also the dean of Francisco Marroquín University Dental School in Guatemala, and Claudio Peña Soto, secretary of FIEFO as well as dean of Stomatology Universidad Cientifica del Sur in Peru, in a joint statement.

Founded in 2014, FIEFO brings together dental schools from 14 countries across South America, Spain, and Portugal, with the United States now joining the federation. United by a shared vision for innovation and equity in oral health, member institutions collaborate to promote international academic and faculty mobility, advance research initiatives, and strengthen social and community dentistry efforts. Through this work, FIEFO aims to prepare future dental professionals to meet oral health challenges across diverse societies and health systems from a global perspective.

“Rutgers School of Dental Medicine is recognized for its academic quality, research capacity, and educational innovation, and its participation elevates the level of dialogue within FIEFO,” said the organization's leaders. “At the same time, it opens meaningful opportunities to strengthen ties between prestigious US dental schools and Ibero-American institutions, fostering mutual learning and a truly global academic exchange.”

For RSDM, the invitation reflects years of international collaboration that spans from Ireland to Albania to South Korea and positions the school to deepen its global footprint by joining leading institutions throughout the Ibero-American world.

“Joining FIEFO is a powerful affirmation of RSDM’s commitment to advancing oral healthcare globally,” said RSDM Dean Cecile A. Feldman. “This partnership allows us to build strong relationships with peer institutions abroad, expand opportunities for our students and faculty to learn across borders, and collaboratively advance research, education, and patient care in ways that address the evolving oral health needs of communities worldwide.”