ACMS started the summer off strong on May 30, 2024, with a ceremony to formally receive a donation of books from the family of Maury Kravitz, a lawyer and gold-trader best known for his fascination with Chinggis Khan. This donation ceremony was fittingly held in the National Library of Mongolia’s Rare and Valuable Books Collection Room, where we also renewed our Memorandum of Understanding with the National Library. This MOU will support future collaborations on book acquisition and sharing of books and research materials related to Mongolian Studies, and will also further work to build library capacity and increase remote access to Mongolian Studies-related materials in libraries in Mongolia.

ACMS also celebrated the 20^th Anniversary of our Ulaanbaatar Office on June 4, 2024, replete with a celebration at the Chinggis Khan National Museum. This celebration featured speeches from ACMS staff, board members, fellows, and honored guests, including ACMS Executive Director Dr. Charles Krusekopf, Ulaanbaatar US Embassy Assistant Public Affairs Officer Sarah Thompson, Professor Zayabaatar Dalai, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at the National University of Mongolia and Secretary General of the International Association of Mongolian Studies, Professor Unurbayan Tsedev, the Director of the Mongolian Studies Center at the Mongolian National University of Education, and Attyat Mayans, ACMS Field Research and Language Program Fellow. ACMS Resident Director Dr. Isaac Hart closed out the festivities, all of which were held at the Chinggis Khaan National Museum of Mongolia, with a presentation entitled "Future Directions of the ACMS. You can watch the proceedings on our YouTube Channel or read more about them on our website.

We also welcomed a group of instructors from US Community Colleges and Minority Serving Institutions, who participated in an ACMS and CAORC-sponsored Overseas Faculty Development Seminar programs entitled Climate Change and Public Health: What does Climate Change mean for the People of Mongolia? which offered participants a profound exploration of Mongolia's rich history, society, and culture while unpacking the implications for climate resilience in the United States.

In addition to this faculty seminar, ACMS also facilitated two exciting Mongolia Field Schools! The first course ran from July 20-28 and was entitled "Horses and the Human Story." This course, taught by Professor William Taylor (University of Colorado, Boulder) and ACMS Resident Director Dr. Isaac Hart, welcomed 18 participants of all ages to a topical course on zooarchaeology and Mongolian Horse Culture. Six of these participants currently work as AP World History teachers in US public and charter high schools across the country.  

This course included lectures on the prehistory of horse use in Mongolia, as well as experiential learning about contemporary Mongolian horse culture through interviews with present-day horse herders, a horse trek to a horseback postal relay station, and visits to some of the most important archaeological sites in Mongolia related to horse culture.

Participants also kept field journals recording what they learned and how they might use this material in their own studies or careers, which they shared in a 2-hour symposium held on the penultimate day of the course.

The second Mongolia Field School ran from July 29 to August 11 and welcomed almost 20 participants to Hustai National Park, Mongolia’s first national park and the home of the rare Przewalski’s Horse. This course was led by Dr. Tsermaa Nyamdavaa, who holds a PhD in National Resources and Sustainability from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Participants studied land and wildlife management practices and engaged with rangers and managers from the Park to explore how land degradation is primarily caused by agricultural and forestry practices, which in turn imperils landscapes, biodiversity, and essential ecosystem services like carbon sequestration. Participants also had the rare opportunity to not only see a Przewalski’s Horse from afar—the best most Hustai National Park visitors can do—but actually track several herds, including young colts, through the park.

The ACMS also supported five Summer Field Research Fellows focused on a number of exciting projects, and wrapped up our 2024 Intensive Mongolian Language Program at the beginning of August.