Dental surgeon Jaime Aparecido Cury, from the Biochemistry area, from the Faculty of Dentistry of Piracicaba (FOP) at Unicamp, received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Murcia, in Spain. The distinction was presented to the researcher on Thursday morning (9/3), on the La Merced campus. With 75 years of life, 52 of which dedicated to Dentistry, Cury is considered one of the greatest fluoride experts in the world in the field of Dentistry. Cury's godfather and responsible for the nomination is Dr. Antonio José Ortiz Ruiz, professor at the Department of Dermatology, Stomatology, Radiology and Physical Medicine at the University of Murcia.
With the theme “Why should we teach the noble art of fishing?”, the researcher discussed the art of teaching and acquiring knowledge, as portrayed by one of his former students: "A master is not the one who gives us answers, but the one which teaches us to ask questions and critically analyze variables…”
The title of Doctor Honoris Causa constitutes the highest award that a University can bestow, and must be approved in a session of the University Council. It can be attributed to an eminent personality, national or foreign, who has stood out singularly for his contribution to culture, education or humanity.
The University of Murcia is an international institution over a hundred years old, whose origins date back to the 30th century. It has more than 2 students (3 of them international), 1,2 researchers and professors and more than XNUMX administration employees.
Cury is 65th honored with the title by the University of Murcia. The list includes renowned figures such as Joan Miró, Mario Vargas Llosa and Plácido Domingo. FOP has stood out on the international scene with the recognition of its professors for the services provided to Dentistry. Professor Ricardo Della Coletta, from the Pathology area at FOP, received the honor in 2022 from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, in Finland.
Academic career
Until 2002, Cury was responsible for training 44 masters and 45 doctors, the majority of whom, 85%, work in Brazil. The 76 former mentors who remained in Brazil are working in different states, ensuring the sustainability of the knowledge acquired. Of the total of 89, 15% of them work outside Brazil, including Brazilians and foreigners.
The researcher, who has published several book chapters, graduated in Dentistry from the State University of Campinas (1971), a master's degree in Sciences (Biochemistry) from the Federal University of Paraná (1974), a doctorate in Biological Sciences (Biochemistry) from the University from São Paulo (1980) and post-doctorate at the University of Rochester, USA (1995 and 2005). He has experience in the field of Dentistry, with an emphasis on Cariology, and works mainly on the following topics: fluoride and dental biofilm. He received several awards in his career, most notably the “The 2010 Yngve Ericsson Prize for Research in Preventive Dentistry”. He was the first researcher from Latin America awarded by the IADR Latin American Regional (International Association for Dental Research) for the Invaluable contribution to research, dissemination and training of human resources in the LA region (2011) and for having received the “2012 ORCA Prize”.
In 2019, he was awarded the William H. Bowen Prize for Research in Dental Caries by the IADR and was elected full member of the Brazilian Academy of Dentistry; in 2020, the IADR awarded him the EW Borrow Award for his contribution to research related to the use of fluorides for the prevention of tooth decay in children.
Cury concluded his speech at the investiture ceremony of the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Murcia with the following sentence: “Yes, we must have passion to teach the noble art of fishing the best fish, however this must be done ethically to serve as a inspiration and sustainability of learning”.
