Professor Viv Burgess

Professor Burgess is a graduate of The University of Adelaide. He holds a Personal Chair in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide. He also holds a conjoint Chair at The University of Newcastle, Australia.

Professor Burgess is a graduate of The University of Adelaide. He holds a Personal Chair in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide. He also holds a conjoint Chair at The University of Newcastle, Australia.

He commenced as Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at The University of Adelaide in 1993 and on leaving the post in 2005 became the second longest serving Dean in the history of the Faculty. On the formation of the Faculty of Health Sciences (Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Psychology, and the Health Sciences) in 1997 he was appointed Deputy Executive Dean remaining in that post until 2005. In 2005 he was appointed Associate Dean, International assuming responsibility for the internationalisation of the Faculty.

He has extensive teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has played a leading role in the review and development of curricula. Work done on the Adelaide BDS curriculum in the early 1990s embraced a student-focused, problem-based learning approach, achieved wide recognition, and at the time placed Adelaide at the forefront of developments in this area internationally. He also served as Director of Continuing Dental Education.

In 1997 he was a member of a panel established by the New Zealand Ministry of Education to review the costs of Medical Education in that country. In the late 1990s he played a leading role in the development of training programs for internationally qualified dental practitioners seeking to register for practice in Australia. He was subsequently involved in the development of initiatives to address the dental care needs of regional Australia and helped establish teaching activities in Newcastle, Tasmania, and regional South Australia.

In 2005 he was appointed Chair of the Joint Australian Dental Council, Dental Council of New Zealand Accreditation Committee with responsibility for over thirty six programs between the two countries.

A major activity in the last twenty years has been the internationalisation of Heath Sciences. In this context he has travelled widely on work associated with governments, companies, universities and other groups in over 25 countries, including: Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Vietnam. He has also undertaken major consultancies involving the development of new Dental Schools including: curriculum development, staff training, policy development, design of facilities, contracts, project management, management of copyright, stakeholder liaison and business planning.

Since 2005 he has been the Director of the Sharjah Project, a contract undertaken by the School’s of Dentistry’s Health Education Development and Innovation (HEDI) unit to support the development of a new Dental College at the University of Sharjah in the UAE. The work involved has achieved international recognition and brought Adelaide significant new capabilities in e-learning and consultancy. More information is available at www.health.adelaide.edu.au/hedi. In 2008 he was cited in DPREurope as a “digital pioneer” in the development of interactive dental curricula.

Professor Burgess’ experience as a clinician includes a foundation in general practice and a specialist qualification in Prosthodontics. He has engaged in referred specialist practice in that discipline and in Dento-Maxillo-Facial Radiology. His experience includes the private and public sectors, appointments as a Consultant/Senior Consultant to the SA Dental Service and the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and service as an Officer in the Royal Australian Army Dental Corps.

He was a member of the Committee of Australian and New Zealand Dental Deans for twelve years and its convener from 1999 to 2004.

Prof Burgess’ research interests have included Dental Materials Science, Anthropology and Genetics. He is member of long standing and service to a range of professional bodies reaching very senior levels of recognition and responsibility. Among these have been:

• The Dental Board of SA from 1993 to 2005;
• The SA Oral Health Advisory Committee and its predecessors for more than ten years;
• Service on Ministerial panels, for example, the Review of Public Dental Services in 1998/99 and the drafting of regulations for the new Dental Practice Act in 2002/03;
• The Board of Directors of the SA Dental Service from 1993 to 2004;
• The Management/Executive of the Adelaide Dental Hospital from 1993 to 2005;
• Coordination teams for in excess of $15m of public capital works from 1986 to 2001.

Appointment in 1999 as a Director of the Australian Dental Council, the peak Dental body in Australia. In 2003 he assumed the Chair of the Accreditation Committee and joined the Council Executive. In 2004 he was appointed Chair of the newly formed Joint Australian Dental Council and Dental Council of New Zealand Accreditation Committee with responsibility for over thirty-six programs across the two countries. In 2008 he chaired a review of the Council’s other main activity, the assessment of overseas trained dentists seeking registration in Australia, producing a landmark report in early 2009.

The SA Foundation for Dental Education and Research as a Board member from 1993 to 2006 and Graduate Affiliate, receiving a Distinguished Service Award from the Foundation with the Commendation: “In recognition of his long-serving contribution to the Board and particularly recognising his tireless work effort in facilitating the operations of the Foundation at all times.“

In 2003 he was appointed to the newly formed National Advisory Committee on Oral Health. The Committee was formed to advise AHMAC identify priorities and devise a comprehensive national plan for Oral Health. Part of his role was the development of a position paper on Oral Health Education in Australia.

Appointments have included;

• Deputy Exec Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Adelaide, 1997 – 2005
• Dean, Faculty/School of Dentistry, the University of Adelaide, 1993 – 2005
• Associate Dean International, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2005 – 2008
• ANZ Committee of Dental Deans, 1993 – 2005, Convener, 2001 – 2004
• Director, Australian Dental Council, 1999 – 2006
• Chair, Joint ANZ Accreditation Committee, 2003 – current
• Colgate Australian Clinical Dental Research Centre, Director, 1996 – 2002, Board of Management, 1996 – current
• Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, Convener, Expert Advisory Panel, 2002 – 2005
• Dental Board of South Australia, 1993 – 2005
• Board of Management, South Australian Foundation for Dental Education and Research, 1993 – 2006
• National Advisory Committee on Oral Health, 2002 – 2005
• Australian Dental Research Foundation, Board of Directors, 2002 – 2005
• Australian Institute for Health and Welfare, Dental Statistics and Research Unit, Chair, Board of Management, 1997 – 2002
• South Australian Dental Service, Board of Directors, 1993 – 2004
• Royal Australian Army Dental Corps, Reserve Dental Officer
• Conjoint Professor of Oral Health, University of Newcastle, 2003 – current
• Academic Council at the International Medical University, KL, Malaysia, 2002 – 2005
• Director, Sharjah Project 2005 – current, Director Health Education
• Development and Innovation, 2007 – current
• Director, Viv-Ed Health Pty Ltd