Opening and Plenary Session 1: Evolution of European in oral health professions education

Wednesday, 26th August 2026 - 16:00 to 17:30

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Timezone:

Budapest (UTC+1 winter / UTC+2 summer)

Duration:

90 Minute

Venue:

HALL A

Session type:

Type 1: Organised, planned and delivered by the ADEE

Including ADEE awards

Session synopsis:

Welcome to the opening plenary and awards session of ADEE 2026 Budapest. Europe and the European Union has seen considerable change politically, culturally and regionally in recent decades. However, European legislation underpinning the education of oral health professionals, namely the professional qualifications directive 2005/36 Has for the most part remained fundamentally unchanged. Directive 205/36 and in particular the relevant dental annex continues to simply cite a list of subjects and a total of 5000 hours as the sole requirement to become a qualified dentist within the European Union.

This afternoon's plenary session through a combination of presentations and panel discussion hopes to unpack and explore what future updates to the directive may look like should they happen and more importantly what ADEE and its key stakeholder partners through the Graduating European Dentist (GED) stakeholder group are doing to address the lack of desire for change at the EU level.

Our session will commence with a short presentation by TBC who shares with us his aspirations for the likely directions of the professional qualifications directive and its implications on education. This is followed by an audience led panel discussion with key members of the ADEE GED stakeholder group that we'll explore some of its recent outputs, its updated curriculum framework, and how it plans to better use the existing directive to improve the delivery of oral health professionals education throughout Europe.

Programme:

Time	Session / Speaker
15:50	Delegates take their seats
16:00	Wellness warmup by the Welldental Team
16:05	Opening Ceremony Session Chairs: Prof. Brian O'Connell and Prof. Gabor Gerber
16:07	Opening Address Prof Ivan Alajbeg, ADEE President 2026–2027
16:10	Reflection and remembrance Prof James Field
16:15	Keynote and Panel Discussion
17:10	ADEE Excellence in Dental Education Mature Career Awards Prof Elene Gigineishvili
17:25	ADEE Oral-B Excellence in Dental Education Inter/Intra Professional Award
17:30	Session close

Chair:

Brian O’Connell

Professor of Restorative Dentistry

Trinity College Dublin

Brian O’Connell is currently Dean of Health Sciences at Trinity College, Dublin, with a special interest biomedical education. He co-leads the oral health component of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), in addition to research on treatment outcomes and the use of new technology in oral health care. Professor O’Connell is a core member of the European Platform for Better Oral Health, and President-Elect of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).

Gabor Gerber

Dean

Faculty of Dentistry at Semmelweis University, Budapest Hungary

Professor Gábor Gerber is the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at Semmelweis University. He teaches anatomy, histology, and embryology for over 40 years and is a specialist in Dental and Oral Diseases and Conservative and Prosthetic Dentistry. At Semmelweis University, he's a key figure in curriculum development, known for leading reforms to boost practice-oriented dental education. Drawing on his work with the Erasmus Plus 'O-Health-Edu' project, he possesses extensive expertise in European dental education standards. Gábor also has extensive experience with accreditation processes, including his prior role with the Hungarian Accreditation Committee and as an expert for various international accreditation bodies.

Speakers:

James Field

Professor in Restorative Dentistry and Dental Education

Cardiff University

Prof James Field is currently a Professor in Restorative Dentistry and Dental Education and also the Cardiff University School of Dentistry's Director of Digital Education. He is a long-term active member of ADEE having most recently co-chaired the very successful Bridging the Clinical Gap special interest group and workshop.

James is academic lead for the ADEE European DigEdDent (Digital Education in Dentistry) portal, was lead author for the ADEE's Graduating European Dentist Curriculum Taskforce and Global lead for Shaping The Future of Dental Education: Interprofessional Education stream. He also represents Cardiff University as the trans-national partner in O-Health-Edu, an Erasmus+ K2 project to harmonise dental education across Europe.

Ivan Alajbeg

President 2026/2027

ADEE

Prof Ivan Alajbeg is ADEE President 2026 - 2027. For 25 years he has been an active researcher, teacher and specialist healthcare provider at the Univ. of Zagreb School of Dental Med. He is a full Professor of Oral Medicine and Vice-Dean for International Collaboration and coordinator of Dental Medicine Study Program in English and at University Hospital Center Zagreb Oral Medicine Consultant.

Elene Gigineishvili

Associate Professor, School of Health Sciences

The University of Georgia

Dr. Elene Gigineishvili has been the Dean of Dental Faculty at the University of Georgia since 2015. She is an accreditation and authorization expert at Georgia's National Center for Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) and a member of the Sectoral Council of Higher Education in Dentistry. Elene has held the position of Executive Committee Member of the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) since 2023 and serves as a panel member of the ADEEs Leader program.

In 2022, she earned her PhD in Public Health, with a dissertation titled "Oral Health, Quality and Accessibility of Dental Care Services in People with Disabilities in Georgia".

Dr. Gigineishvili is an active member of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). She is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Dental Clinic of the University of Georgia. Elene delivers lectures in Therapeutic and Pediatric Dentistry to undergraduate students.

Jackie Cooper

Partner

Cooper Transformations

Jackie Cooper is a highly regarded Cognitive Hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner, boasting nearly three decades of invaluable experience within the dental industry. Starting her professional journey as a dental nurse almost 30 years ago, Jackie's innate drive for innovation propelled her into the commercial domain. Here, she dedicated her efforts to pioneering advancements in oral surgery outcomes, particularly through the implementation of cutting-edge laser technologies, which she taught and supported clinicians in utilising.

In the midst of her professional endeavours, Jackie's unwavering commitment to empowering individuals to reach their full potential led her to explore the transformative realms of cognitive hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Recognising the profound impact these modalities could have on enhancing lives, she made the courageous decision in 2020 to embark on a journey of requalification and specialisation.

Over the span of four years, Jackie immersed herself in rigorous study and practical training, refining her skills as a Cognitive Hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner under the mentorship of esteemed professionals in the field. Her relentless dedication and steadfast pursuit of mastery culminated in her acquisition of certifications as a qualified master practitioner in both disciplines.

Today, Jackie Cooper stands as a symbol of transformation, seamlessly integrating her extensive background in dentistry with her expertise in cognitive reprogramming techniques. Operating her private practice, Jackie works closely with clients on a one-to-one basis, employing her skills to reframe old memories and alleviate unwanted trauma.

Furthermore, Jackie extends her impact through workshops covering a diverse range of topics, including trauma management, anxiety recognition, stress management, and the intricacies of the human mind. Through her unwavering dedication to personal growth and holistic well-being, Jackie continues to inspire positive change and facilitate profound transformations in the lives of those she serves.

Shannu Bhatia

Clinical Reader and Honorary consultant Paediatric dentist.

School of Dentistry Cardiff University, UK

Dr Shannu Bhatia is a Clinical Reader and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry at Cardiff University. She is the lead for Paediatric dentistry at Cardiff University. She chairs the Community of Practice of Wellbeing and Resilience at the Association of Dental Education in Europe. She has a Master’s both in Medical Education and in Clinical dentistry and is an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons. She holds the fellowship of the Learned Society of Wales, the Academy of Medical Educators, the Royal College of Surgeons (Paediatric Dentistry) and a Senior Fellowship of Higher Education Academy.

Her interests include dental education, dental management of children with complex needs and wellbeing of staff and students. As the immediate past President of British Society of Paediatric dentistry, she advocates for improvements in oral health of children.

She is an active clinically and academically and provides specialist consultant led treatment for children under local anaesthesia, inhalation sedation and general anaesthesia.

Morag Powell

Lecturer in Dental Therapy and Hygiene

University of Plymouth, UK

Morag Powell is both a Dental Hygienist and a Dental Therapist, lecturing on the BSc (Hons) Dental Therapy and Hygiene programme at the University of Plymouth and has a particular interest in wellbeing, resilience, and student support within healthcare education. Alongside her academic role, Morag is a qualified yoga and breathwork (pranayama) instructor, delivering weekly classes that focus on evidence-informed approaches to stress management, self-regulation, and wellbeing. She is passionate about helping individuals develop practical techniques to enhance both personal wellbeing and professional performance.

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