The American Center for Mongolian Studies is now accepting applications for our 2025 Mongolia Field School courses! These experiential short-courses offer an educational travel experience that blends academic insights and discussions with hands-on, immersive travel, allowing participants to interact with local communities in locations beyond the usual tourist track. All courses are taught in English and no prior experience in the course subject matter is required.
In 2025, ACMS will offer the following Field School courses:
Embark on an intensive two-week expedition immersing yourself in Mongolia's cutting-edge efforts to establish and manage specially protected areas, centered around the globally acclaimed Hustai National Park. The park is home to one of the few remaining thriving herds of the world's last truly wild horses, the Przewalski's horse. This immersive field course resonates with the urgent call from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, highlighting the imminent threat of land degradation primarily caused by agricultural and forestry practices. This degradation imperils landscapes, biodiversity, and essential ecosystem services like carbon sequestration. Hustai National Park serves as a pivotal bastion in combating these detrimental impacts, forming the nucleus of our investigation.
Mongolia's Ancient Cities: Archaeological Excavation with the Uyghur Cultural Heritage Project
June 12-29 and June 28-July 12, 2025 (Option to enroll in either one or both sessions)
Delve into Mongolia's fascinating past and gain hands-on experience excavating at a working archaeological site in Central Mongolia. Work alongside prominent American and Mongolian archaeologists on this Field School course led by Dr. Richard Ciolek-Torello, former Vice President of Statistical Research, Incorporated and Director of the Uyghur Cultural Heritage Project, to understand Mongolia's long history of urban settlement. Get acquainted with the powerful Uyghur Empire, one of the precursors of the Great Mongol Empire, while learning real archaeological methods and practices as a participant in this ongoing excavation. No prior experience with archaeology, Mongolia, or field research is required. You may apply to participate in one or both sessions of this course.
The Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity in Hustai National Park
July 21-August 3, 2025
This course will delve into the concept of community-based conservation, examining its significant role within Hustai National Park and its surrounding buffer zone. Participants will explore how climate change influences local conservation efforts, particularly in relation to rangeland management. We will investigate how climate change exacerbates existing conflicts between herders and crop farmers over land and resource use in the buffer zone. Through a combination of theoretical learning and practical field experience, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the socio-environmental dynamics driving these conflicts. Field visits to conflict areas, along with interviews with local herders and crop farmers, will provide firsthand insight into the challenges faced by communities and offer a unique perspective on potential strategies for conflict resolution and sustainable management practices in the face of a changing climate.
Visit our website to learn more, and apply by February 15 for priority fellowship consideration. We welcome applications from students, researchers, faculty, life-long learners, and anyone else with a passion to learn and an interest in Mongolia. All applicants must be 18 years of age or older by the start date of their chosen Field School.
For questions, please contact mfs@mongoliacenter.org. We can't wait to see you this summer in Mongolia!
