Yonsei University College of Dentistry has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) to promote academic and educational collaboration, marking the first such agreement between Harvard’s dental school and a Korean university, and only its second with an institution in Asia.

Under the agreement, the schools will engage in a range of joint initiatives, including student and research personnel exchanges, co-development of dental education curricula, and activation of collaborative research.

Plans include training programs to expand undergraduate and graduate student exchanges, as well as joint research symposia.

The partnership will also directly connect researchers to enhance synergies in shared focus areas such as the oral microbiome and dental biomaterials, and will co-develop and operate continuing education programs for dentists, an area of growing demand.

Founded in 1867 as the world’s first university-affiliated dental school, HSDM ranked 10th globally and 3rd in the U.S. in the 2025 QS World University Rankings for dentistry, earning high marks for its basic and clinical research capabilities.

“This agreement will further strengthen Yonsei University College of Dentistry’s global capabilities in education and research,” Yonsei University College of Dentistry Dean Jung Young-soo said. “We will continue to expand our global network for the benefit of our students and faculty.”

Yonsei University College of Dentistry, ranked top in Korea and 31st worldwide in the 2025 QS World University Rankings for dentistry, has been actively expanding its global partnerships with leading institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, the University of Washington, and Tufts University.