Author Archives: Julian Dierkes

About Julian Dierkes

Julian Dierkes is a sociologist by training (PhD Princeton Univ) and a Mongolist by choice and passion since around 2005. He teaches in the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He toots @jdierkes@sciences.social.

Tourism: Standardization in Diversification

Posted on July 7, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes In June, I visited Mongolia as a tourist for the first time. Well, sort of. On my 26th visit to Mongolia, I accompanied a tour to provide some insights into contemporary Mongolia to complement a Mongolian tour … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Diversification, Tourism | Tagged | Leave a comment

New to Ulaanbaatar June 2019

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes I’ve been keeping lists of things that are arriving to/disappearing from central Ulaanbaatar: April 2019 | December 2018 | August 2018 | October 2017 | June 2017 | May 2016 | December 2015 | May 2015 | May 2014 | October 2013 | October 2011. More informal versions of these … Continue reading →

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Posted in Change, Curios, Ulaanbaatar | Tagged | Leave a comment

Constitutional Amendments

Posted on June 25, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes and Mendee Jargalsaikhan Constitutional change has been discussed in Mongolia for some time. Despite the super-majority that the MPP holds in parliament at the moment, we were not expecting amendments to actually be proposed, but now they … Continue reading →

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Posted in Constitution, Governance, JD Democratization, Judiciary, Law, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

Security Cameras Everywhere

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes Maybe this will turn out to be a longterm series of posts on “contemporary Mongolia dissertations I wish someone was working on”. On visits to Mongolia, I see the streets and hills paved with dissertation topics, so … Continue reading →

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Posted in Crime, Dissertation Ideas, Morals, Research on Mongolia, Social Change, Social Issues | Tagged | Leave a comment

Roadmap for New Parties

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes Let’s imagine scenarios that could lead to real political change, not only a change in leadership and possibly the party landscape, but a re-orientation of Mongolian democracy, a change of political culture, that gives Mongolians more of … Continue reading →

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Posted in Constitution, Democracy, Elections, Governance, Ikh Khural 2020, JD Democratization, National Labor Party, Party Politics, Politics, Presidential 2021, Protest, Younger Mongolians | Tagged | Leave a comment

Addressing Meat Prices through Policy not Populism

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes A very curious spectacle recently to see meat warehouses raided by the General Intelligence Agency. I have seen little discussion of the legality of such raids which look a bit like the action taken against a mining … Continue reading →

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Posted in Agriculture, Countryside, Diversification, Employment, Herding, Public Policy | Tagged | Leave a comment

Dr. Bloggers

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

Our blog has always been rooted in academic research and in the training that regular bloggers have received. We are all delighted that two of our regular crew (more or less active, at this point), have recently graduated to become … Continue reading →

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Posted in Democracy, Mongolia and ..., Reflection, Research on Mongolia | Leave a comment

Mine Aesthetics and OT as National Symbol

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes {This post continues a series of posts based on a visit to Oyu Tolgoi at the invitation of the company.} I think it’s fair to say that Mongolians have had an ambivalent relationship with Oyu Tolgoi ever … Continue reading →

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Posted in JD Mining Governance, Nationalism, Oyu Tolgoi, Society and Culture | Tagged | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Smart Air

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Nathan Hsieh The Problem The air quality of Ulaanbaatar has been a highly politicized topic that millions of aid dollars and institutions have deliberated on. Yet, if one were to approach any random Ulaanbaatarite and state that the air … Continue reading →

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Posted in Air Pollution, Nathaniel Hsieh, Ulaanbaatar | Leave a comment

Biased How?

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes In 2016 I came back from a trip to Mongolia slightly puzzled and concerned. It seemed to me during meetings on that trip that there was a real concern with some interlocutors that I was some kind … Continue reading →

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Posted in Politics, Research on Mongolia | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Very Premature Outlook on the 2020 Parliamentary Election

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes Yes, the 2020 election is more than a year away, and, yes, many observers lament the fact that politics seems beholden to electoral cycles. But, discussions in Mongolia have started to revolve around the 2020 election, and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Democratic Party, Ikh Khural 2020, Mongolian People's Party, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, National Labor Party, Party Politics, Politics, Populism, Public Opinion | Tagged | Leave a comment

OT Data Applications

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes {Disclosure: As previously mentioned, I was delighted to be invited to Oyu Tolgoi by the company’s communications department.} In addition to the pervasive focus on safety, the utilization of data is visible throughout Oyu Tolgoi. The kind … Continue reading →

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Posted in Oyu Tolgoi | Tagged | Leave a comment

New to Ulaanbaatar April 2019

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes I’ve been keeping lists of things that are arriving to/disappearing from central Ulaanbaatar: December 2018 | August 2018 | October 2017 | June 2017 | May 2016 | December 2015 | May 2015 | May 2014 | October 2013 | October 2011. More informal versions of these observations also appear … Continue reading →

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Posted in Change, Curios, Ulaanbaatar | Tagged | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Cybersecurity or Cybercensorship?

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By Otgonpurev M According to an article by ikon.mn policymakers in the Mongolian parliament perceive fake news that appear on social networks as a cyber attack.  Officials have responded to the demand to combat cyber harassment and the spread of … Continue reading →

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Posted in Law, Media and Press, Otgonpurev Mendsaikhan, Security Apparatus, Social Change, Social Media | Leave a comment

The Likelihood of Political Renewal

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Julian Dierkes

By  Julian Dierkes Why I am generally optimistic about Mongolian developments, Mongolian politics presents a lot of challenges and the current state of affairs causes more despair than it has in the previous 12+ years that I’ve been paying attention. … Continue reading →

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Posted in Constitution, Corruption, Democracy, Democratic Party, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Ikh Khural 2020, Inequality, JD Democratization, Judiciary, Mining Governance, Mongolian People's Party, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, Nationalism, Party Politics, Policy, Politics, Populism, Presidential 2021, Social Movements | Tagged | Leave a comment