Support Positions with the OSCE for the 2013 Mongolian Presidential Election

Since Mongolia has joined the Organization for Security and Co-operation  there has been a major long and short term election observation project underway which started with last year's election.  With the Presidential election scheduled for June 23rd, the OSCE is looking for individuals to fill a number of support positions.  These positions are open to all interested in being involved.

For more information follow this link: OSCE Mongolia 2013

Introduction from the incoming Resident Director Marc Tassé

"It’s been just over a week since my arrival in Ulaanbaatar, it is a pleasure to find the time and introduce myself as the new Resident Director for the American Center for Mongolian Studies. I am both excited and humbled by the task at hand.  The ACMS has been an active and respected member of the local community, something I aim to maintain and foster during my time here. As the first Canadian Director for the ACMS, I hope that I can live up to the legacy left by my predecessors.

This is my third tour through Asia, the first being a three month term in Thailand as a volunteer research assistant with some time spent as a resident in a local Buddhist monastery.  The second was a 6 year term in South Korea, working as an international trade consultant as well as getting heavily involved in the local traditional culture scene. I have also been involved in the direction of several non-profit and community organizations, both in Canada and overseas.

I have recently come out of a three-year work sabbatical, during which I completed a Masters of Global Management from Royal Roads University and a Masters in International Business Administration for the Munich University of Applied Science, I was searching for an opportunity that would combine my experience in international management, passion for learning, and intrigue in traditional Asian cultures. Being the Resident Director of the ACMS fulfills all of these requirements and more.

During the next few months I will be working on strengthening our relationships with the local academic, NGO, government and private sectors in order to facilitate the activities of our members and the research community.  By developing new relationships I hope to expand the options available and discover new areas where the ACMS can have an impact.

I look forward to hearing from all of you suggestions on how the ACMS can continue to grow and fulfill its mission of supporting the development of Mongolian Studies and academic exchanges." -Marc Tassé

Understanding Mongolia: Fact, Fiction and Everything in Between - By Brian White, Editor, The Mongolist

5:30 PM, Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013 AMERICAN CORNER, ULAANBAATAR PUBLIC LIBRARY NAMED BY D. NATSAGDORJ

The digital age has made easy information something we take for granted. Every second journalists, academics, think tanks, bloggers, and many other knowledge producers provide timely analysis and synthesis of complex issues. Except on Mongolia. Information is a bit more sparse in that area, and it is often difficult to sort out what is fact, fiction, and everything in between because of a lack of trusted information sources and even information itself. Brian White created the blog "The Mongolist " in 2012 as his way to supplement his own unending curiosity about Mongolian politics, business, and society and to contribute to a better understanding of Mongolian issues among the public by using an investigative evidence based approach to his writing. In this lecture, Mr. White will present on several topics he's investigated for his blog and expand on some of their more interesting and important implications.

ACMS Library Fellowship 2012

American Center for Mongolian Studies is pleased to announce the second year of the ACMS Library Fellowship. This fellowship supports US advanced graduate students, faculty members, or professionals in library and information sciences from colleges and universities to conduct short-term library development projects and/or research in Mongolia for a period of up to 12 weeks between May and October 2012. The ACMS Library Fellowship program is intended to help support the development of the ACMS research library and build stronger connections among local library partners through specific defined projects designed to enhance collection content, resource accessibility, and training.

Fellows are hosted by the ACMS and should propose projects that have measurable positive outcomes for the scholarly community served by the ACMS. Project proposals with similar outcomes and impacts on local partner libraries are also especially encouraged. Fellows spend a minimum of 4 weeks and a maximum of 12 weeks onsite in Mongolia at the ACMS library. Projects must begin after May 1, 2012 and end no later than September 30, 2012. Prior experience working in Mongolia is not a requirement. Due to conditions set by the funding agency only US citizens are eligible to apply to this program.

Deadline to submit application: February 15, 2012.

More information on how to apply at: www.mongoliacenter.org/librarian

The fellowship is supported with funding from the US State Department Education and Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Council of American Oversees Research Centers.

ACMS Mongolian Visiting Scholar Program 2012

The American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) is pleased to announce the second year of the ACMS Mongolian Visiting Scholar Program. The Visiting Scholar Program provides funding support for 3-12 week short-term visits by Mongolian scholars to US universities and academic research centers to work with US based counterparts on collaborative projects and public outreach activities. Project proposals in all academic fields are eligible, and small colleges and universities are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications for the program must be submitted by a US host institution representative on behalf of an invited Mongolian scholar. Visits to the US must begin between September 1 and December 31, 2012. This program is intended to fund non-degree, scholarly exchange activities.

Deadline to submit application: February 15, 2012.

More information about how to apply at: www.mongoliacenter.org/exchange.

The Program is supported by the US State Department Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau (ECA) and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers.

ACMS US-Mongolia Field Research Fellowship Program 2012

The ACMS US-Mongolia Field Research Fellowship Program was initiated in 2006 to foster a new generation of Mongolian Studies scholars by creating an opportunity for field studies early in the careers of both US and Mongolian scholars. During the 2012 program, the ACMS US-Mongolia Field Research Fellowship Program is open to research proposals from advanced undergraduate to post-doctoral US scholars, including university and college faculty, for the purposes of conducting short-term field research projects in Mongolia between May and October 2012.

Applicants must be US citizens currently enrolled full-time (students) or employed at least part-time (post-docs and faculty) at a university or college. Students graduating in Spring 2012 are eligible for the program. Undergraduate applicants must have at least third year standing in their program, while graduate applicants can be at a masters, pre-dissertation, or doctoral candidacy level. Post-doctoral scholars and faculty must regularly teach at least one course at a US university or college to be eligible. The program priority for post-doctoral scholars and faculty is to support individuals from non-research intensive universities and colleges, especially those who are helping guide student research projects or who can show how the fellowship experience will enhance their teaching and outreach.

Joint applications submitted by a student and post-doctoral scholar or faculty member are highly encouraged. Joint applicants must submit individual applications, but the applications will be evaluated both individually and jointly during the review process. Joint applications are not required, and individual applications are welcome. Prior research or study experience in Mongolia is not required to apply.

Deadline for submitting applications: February 15, 2012.

More information about how to apply at: www.mongoliacenter.org/field.

The ACMS US-Mongolia Field Research Fellowship Program is funded by a grant from the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) and US Department of State Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

Online Mongolian Course Fall 2011

The American Center for Mongolian Studies is pleased to announce the fall semester of "Mon 101: Introduction to Mongolian Language and Culture", an online Mongolian course being offered at University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) from August 29 to December 17, 2011. The course is co-organized by UMA and ACMS. The course is open to anyone (you do not need to be a student at UMA to participate), and it is the first semester in a two semester offering of beginner Mongolian.

More information about the course is available at: www.mongoliacenter.org/mon101.