Subject: This Month in Mongolian Studies: March 21, 2025

March 21, 2025

Call for Proposals

A graphic advertising an event titled “A Steppe Closer: Cross-Border Collaboration and the Making of New Knowledge“

The American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) and Western Washington University (WWU) are pleased to announce the launch of “Алхам алхмаар дөхөх нь: Хил дамнасан хамтын ажиллагаа ба шинэ мэдлэг бүтээхүй / A Steppe Closer: Cross-Border Collaboration and the Making of New Knowledge,” a joint initiative highlighting international research partnerships between Mongolian scholars and their colleagues abroad. ACMS and WWU envision an array of online and in-person presentations, workshops, conferences, panel discussions, and special events.

To launch this new initiative, ACMS and WWU are excited to announce a call for proposals for the inaugural series of online presentations, to be held via Zoom in May and June 2025. Program organizers will work with presenters to account for time zone differences of both the panelists and prospective attendees. Presentations should be no longer than 45 minutes. All submissions will be peer-reviewed.

Scholars from all academic disciplines who study Mongolia are encouraged to apply, including both those with or without an institutional affiliation. Proposals highlighting the international collaborative work of doctoral candidates and postdocs are particularly welcome.

Proposals Must:

Focus on some aspect of the study of Mongolia
Include a Mongolian scholar(s) working together with a colleague(s) based in another country
Involve research projects in progress
Be presented in Mongolian and/or English with participation from both a Mongolian and foreign-based partner (simultaneous translation will be offered)

Submission Instructions:

Complete the submission form here
Attach a CV or resume for each participant

Important Dates:

April 4: Deadline for proposals
April 7-17: Submission review period
April 18: Notification of acceptance
May-June: Presentations (days/times TBD)

“A Steppe Closer / Нэг алхмын алсаас” is sponsored by ACMS and WWU, with funding provided by the John C. Street Endowment in Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies at WWU.

Contact WWU Director of Faculty Global Engagement Mark Greenberg or ACMS U.S. Director Maggie Lindrooth with any questions.

We look forward to receiving your proposals!

Submit Your Proposal

ACMS Joint Conference - Call for Abstracts

A flyer with the text “Under Shared Blue Skies: Mongolia and the North American West,“ highlighting the important information of the conference described in the text below.

Under Shared Blue Skies: Mongolia and the North American West

November 8 and 9, 2025

Downtown Denver, Colorado - home to one of the oldest and most dynamic Mongolian communities in North America.

Since the early 1990s, the connections between Mongolia and the North American West have grown into vibrant, long-term bridges of knowledge and culture. A wide variety of research and creative scholarship connects Mongolia to the North American West, ranging from archaeology to zoology. At the same time, much of this scholarship is produced by members of Mongolian communities in the North American West. This conference seeks to bring together scholars, practitioners, students, and community members in the North American West who have engaged in or are simply interested in scholarship related to Mongolia. This will be a two-day interdisciplinary event to share knowledge and experiences while also providing opportunities for interaction and development of new ideas for collaboration.

We welcome abstract submissions for short paper presentations (10 minutes) or poster presentations from researchers, practitioners, and/or students who engage with research and/or creative scholarship related to Mongolia. Scholars from any discipline or field are welcome to submit an abstract. This conference is not strictly limited to the academic community, and we encourage participation by artists, educators, and members of the non-profit sector. Abstracts will be published and distributed at the meeting.

Key details are below. Read more about this conference here and check out the full Call for Abstracts here.

Instructions for Submitting Abstracts

Complete the online submission form by the March 31, 2025 deadline. You will be contacted by May 1, 2025 if your application has been accepted.

The submission requirements include:

Presentation format (oral presentation or poster)
Presentation title
Abstract (250 words or less)
Key terms (up to 5 words)

Important Dates

February 4, 2025: Call for Abstracts

March 31, 2025: Abstract submission deadline

May 1, 2025: Notification of acceptance

TBD: Registration deadline for all participants

Conference Registration and Fees

Participants: $50

Students: $10

Note: A separate registration form to submit payment for your attendance will be available soon

Conference Organizers:

The American Center for Mongolian Studies

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Committee

Interested in sponsoring the events? Contact Sara Jackson Shumate, Ph.D. at sjacks62@msudenver.edu for more information.

Questions?

Contact info@mongoliacenter.org or Sara Jackson Shumate, Ph.D. at sjacks62@msudenver.edu if you have any questions.

ACMS News

An informational graphic that reads “ACMS 2025 Mongolia Field School“ with information about applying online

Applications for Mongolia Field School are Still Open!

Mongolia Field School courses offer an educational travel experience that blends academic insights and discussions with hands-on, immersive travel, allowing participants to interact with local people and locations outside the usual tourist track. Submit an application by the final deadline of April 25, 2025 to be considered for this year's cohort!

We are offering the following Field School courses for Summer 2025:

Hustai National Park: Managing Biodiversity in the Home of Mongolia's Native Horses (June 9-22, 2025)
Mongolia's Ancient Cities: Archaeological Excavation with the Uyghur Cultural Heritage Project (June 2-29 and June 28-July 12, 2025, enroll in one or both sessions)
Changing Biodiversity in Hustai National Park (July 21-August 3, 2025)

Visit our website to learn more, and apply by April 25 for self-funded participation. 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.

Upcoming ACMS Speaker Series

A poster for the upcoming Speaker Series: “The Roles and Work of Mongolian Medical-Surgical Ward Nurses: Findings from an ethnographic study and comparison with descriptions of nursing work in other countries“

Join us at the American Corner on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 5:30pm ULAT for our next Speaker Series event! Dr. Anne Biro is a highly experienced nursing consultant, educator, and researcher with over three decades of expertise in nursing practice, education, and international health initiatives. She holds a PhD in Philosophy from Staffordshire University and a Master of Nursing from the University of Alberta. Her career spans clinical practice, academic teaching, and policy development, with significant contributions to community and public health nursing.

Dr. Biro has served as a nursing advisor in Mongolia, a consultant for the Pan American Health Organization, and an instructor at Red Deer College. She has led research projects, curriculum development, and international collaborations to advance healthcare education and practice. Currently, she is the President of Nurses Christian Fellowship International and actively supports primary healthcare initiatives globally.

Join Dr. Anne Biro as she presents insights from her ethnographic research on Mongolian medical-surgical ward nurses, comparing their roles and work with nursing practices in other countries. This event will provide a unique perspective on the profession, shedding light on both challenges and strengths in nursing across different healthcare systems.

Fellowship Opportunities, Application Deadlines, and CfPs

English and German Language Teaching Positions in Mongolia

September 2025 - June 2026 (First Cohort) and Beyond

Altai Blue Horizon is looking for teachers to work on limited-term contracts across Mongolia. This organization is a Swiss-Mongolian non-profit working to improve educational access and quality in more remote or underserved regions of Mongolia, including but not limited to Western Mongolia.

A female teacher stands beside a green chalkboard

Placement Locations: Darkhan, Khovd, Bayan-Ulgii, Dalanzadgad, Ulaanbaatar, and more.

Level: Grades 5-12 (primary/secondary/vocational school) or university.

Duration: September - June. Applicants may also request only one semester (6 weeks) between September - December or February - May.

Salary: Equivalent to about $300 (USD) in Mongolian Tugriks (MNT) per month for long stays only. Different salaries apply for single semester contracts. Housing is provided by the school. Transportation to, within, and from Mongolia must be paid for by the teacher.

Eligibility: A teaching degree is advantageous, but not necessary. Excellent English or German, both spoken and written, is required. People of all ages are welcome to inquire. Applicants should be independent, flexible, able to improvise, patient, and ready for a challenge.

For Further Information, Contact:

Anita Fahrni, Program Director

Swiss Program for Language Instruction and Teacher Training

asmfahrni@gmail.com

Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies News, Media, Events, and Publications

Scholars to Shamans: The Academic Roots of Buryat National Tradition in the Late Soviet Period

In this presentation, Dr. Justine Buck Quijada, Associate Professor in the Department of Religion at Wesleyan University, examines the way in which late Soviet academic discourses transformed into post-Soviet shamanic practices for Buryats in Central Asia. In the 1970’s and 80’s, Buryat social scientists, trained and employed at Soviet academic institutions, began publishing a surprising number of books on Buryat shamanism. By the early 90’s, these same scholars saw shamanism as a source of authentic Buryat tradition to be renewed. Although Buryat shamanism never became a “national ideology” their texts provided the basis for the actual revival of shamanic practices. Watch the full presentation here.

Join the ACMS Today!

Interested in becoming more involved with the ACMS? In addition to checking out our website or following us on social media to stay up to date, consider becoming a member online or by stopping by our UB office located at Natsagdorj Library, East Entrance, Seoul St-7, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Additionally, keep your eye out for future newsletters that will include more resources, upcoming events, CfPs, and more.

As always, our Mongolian language classes are available on Zoom or in-person in our Ulaanbaatar office. Contact Tsermaa for more details. And don't forget, many of our library resources are available online as well! So until next time, happy reading and enjoy your winter.