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.

Guest Post: Spirituality and Wisdom Cherished by “The Legend of the Shaman”

Posted on December 15, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

By OTGONSUREN Jargal I know one researcher, a woman from Europa who researches shamanism and admires the magic of Mongolian shamans. She says that her life has changed dramatically after become a researcher and every summer she comes to Mongolia, … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, Literature, Otgonsuren Jargal, Religion, Shamanism | Leave a comment

Democratic Convulsions

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes Two ongoing convulsions of democracy are having me reflect on Mongolia, elections, and political system challenges: the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan According to Katie Putz, one of the choices that is coming out of the revolutionary upheavals … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Elections, JD Democratization, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia and ..., Politics, United States | Leave a comment

Interview with B Tsogtbaatar: Public Health and COVID-Response

Posted on October 13, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes Dr. TSOGTBAAYAR Byambaa earned his PhD from the Faculty of Health Sciences of Simon Fraser University in Vancouver in 2014. He received his MSc in Health Administration and International Health Policy from the University of Colorado in … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Public Service, Tsogtbaatar Byambaa | Leave a comment

Geopolitics of Mongolia Podcast

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

Julian Dierkes recently spoke to Michael Hilliard about Mongolia’s foreign relations in an extended show of The Red Line Podcast focused on geopolitics.

Posted in China, Inner Mongolia, International Relations, Mongolia and ..., Mongolians in China, Podcast, Russia | Leave a comment

Friends in Defence of Democracy?

Posted on September 25, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes Throughout the past 30 years of democratic foreign policy, Mongolia has been a multi-lateral joiner, i.e. eager to participate in international initiatives that raise its profile, in particular aimed at deepening relationships with “Third Neighbours”. Now, there … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, International Relations, Mongolia and ..., UN | Leave a comment

Blip or Shift in Sino-Mongolian Relationship?

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes [Apologetic preamble: the beginning of the academic term is extra busy for me, so this is neither as thought-out, nor as edited as I would have wanted it to be, but I did want to post on … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Foreign Policy, Mongolia and ..., Mongolians in China, Nationalism | Leave a comment

Covering Election: Looking Back

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes As we wrote in May, this was the first election since the existence of Mongolia Focus that none of our regular writers were in-country. Our “coverage” of the election was thus a bit different. Why Cover the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ikh Khural 2020, Reflection | Tagged Julian Dierkes | Leave a comment

Ministers in Khurelsukh’s Cabinet

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes, Marissa Smith and Bulgan Batdorj Byambajav has already provided a brief introduction to the 16 ministers who have been appointed to PM Khurelsukhs post-2020-election cabinet. Since a number of them are not MPs and have not been … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Foreign Policy, Government, Health, Ikh Khural 2020, Infrastructure, Law, Military, Mining, Policy, Politics, Public Policy, Society and Culture, Tourism | Tagged Julian Dierkes; Marissa Smith; Bulgan Batdorj | Leave a comment

Cabinet Observations

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

By Julian Dierkes [I had begun writing this post on July 3, i.e. just before PM Khurelsukh’s cabinet was announced. While the speculation about appointments has been overtaken by that announcement, perhaps some of the thinking behind cabinet appointments will … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitution, Government, Politics, Public Policy, Public Service | Tagged Julian Dierkes | Leave a comment

Guest Post: A Flawed Electoral System?

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

By Johann Fuhrmann and Max Duckstein Already a day after the elections some independent candidates began to call for a recounting of the ballots. In the following days, smaller parties and parts of the DP joined these demands. But irrespective … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitution, Democracy, Elections, Ikh Khural 2020, Johann Fuhrmann, Max Duckstein, Party Politics, Politics | Leave a comment

Election Analyses Panel, June 29

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Julian Dierkes

Mongolians voted on June 24. The Mongolian People’s Party won a resounding victory with 62 of 76 seats. We’ll analyze these results, discuss incoming MPs, focus a bit on gender and leave lots of time for questions and comments. Monday, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ikh Khural 2020 | Leave a comment

Author Archives: Julian Dierkes

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