Century of higher education in dental medicine in Croatia and sixty years of independence of the University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine
The origin of the University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine, and the beginning of the history of higher education in dental medicine in Croatia, can be found in an event 100 years ago, namely, from 20 January 1922, when, by the recommendation of the professorial association of the Faculty of Physicians of the University of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the then provincial regent for Croatia and Slavonia, Juraj Demetrović, MD, awarded Eduard Radošević, MD (Mrkopalj, 20 February 1884 – Zagreb, 6 February 1939) venia docendi – approval for teaching in the field of dentistry. Eduard Radošević graduated from the Faculty of Medicine in Vienna in 1909 and specialized in dentistry in 1910 in Berlin. The committee that evaluated Radošević’s habilitation entitled Dental problems from the aspect of physical chemistry consisted of eminent professors and founders of the Faculty of Medicine Fran Bubanović, who was also a mentor, Julije Budisavljević and Dragutin Mašek. In 1922, Eduard Radošević founded the Department of Odontology and later the Dental Clinic at the Faculty of Medicine. Dentistry was a part of general medicine, that is, its specialist branch, while a separate study program of dentistry has existed at the Faculty of Medicine since 1948 with the establishment of the Department of Odontology.
60 years ago, by the decision of the Parliament of the then People’s Republic of Croatia of 26 September 1962 on the establishment of the University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine, the dental medicine study program was separated from the Faculty of Medicine. Since that day, dentistry has existed as an independent higher education profession in Croatia, which forms the basis of oral health care and integral health of its citizens. To date, more than 6,500 dentists have graduated from the institution. Over the century of its activity, thanks to the high academic standards but also its international teaching activities (since 2017, a comprehensive study program in English has been introduced), the institution has gained a high international scientific and professional reputation. Celebrate with us these two special anniversaries!
Prof. Ivan Alajbeg, PhD
University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine
