Category Archives: Author

Guest Post: An “Alternate Economy” Run by Chieftains

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Julian Dierkes

By B Naidalaa This article was originally published on Ikon.mn on Nov 7 2018 as “Монгол дахь УЛСТӨРИЙН корпорацийн АЖИЛЧДАД ХЭЛЭХ ҮГ” The term “informal economy” or “shadow economy” applies to a segment of the economy that is not registered, … Continue reading →

Posted in Badrakh Naidalaa, Business, Corruption, Diversification, Policy, Politics, Public Policy | Leave a comment

Imagining Nalaikh Mining Museum and Education Centre

Posted on October 15, 2018 by mendee

By Hongorzul Bayarnyam & Mendee Jargalsaikhan All Starts with the Kindergarten Teacher It was touching to see the paintings of kids at the 123-rd kindergarten of Nalaikh District. In their imagined world, all coal miners had safety helmets with flashlights, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Hongorzul Bayarnyam, Kazakhs, Mining, Museums, Nalaikh, Primary and Secondary Education | Tagged MENDEE Jargalsaikhan | Leave a comment

Changes in Northeast Asia – What Impact on Mongolia

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Julian Dierkes

New publication: Julian Dierkes and Mendee Jargalsaikhan. 2018. “Mongolia in an Emerging Northeast Asian Region“, Mongolian Journal of International Affairs, 20: 91-100.

Posted in China, Foreign Policy, Japan, Julian Dierkes, Mendee Jargalsaikhan, Mongolia and ..., North Korea, Publications, Research on Mongolia, Russia, SCO, South Korea, Ulaanbaatar Dialogue | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Flooding in Mongolia

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Julian Dierkes

By Jangar Ts Recent floods in Mongolia have brought about a lot of discussions. Continuous heavy rains all over the country quickly resulted in multiple floods, destroying communication lines, affecting some villages and infrastructure. In the northern part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Countryside, Environment, Flooding, Gobi, Grassland, Jangar Tsembel, Natural Disaster, Ulaanbaatar | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Grappling with Wrestling Titles

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Julian Dierkes

By Zorigtkhuu B National wrestling is considered a Mongolian precious cultural heritage. It holds the Guinness World Record that involved 6,002 wrestlers during the largest Mongolian wrestling tournament which was organized on 17th September. 2011. Wrestlers have been entertaining the … Continue reading →

Posted in Naadam, Wrestling, Zorigtkhuu Bat-Erdene | Leave a comment

Guest Post: A quick reaction to the on-going Facebook conversations on Oyu Tolgoi agreement and the role of Mr Bayartsogt in signing it

Posted on March 28, 2018 by mendee

By Undariya Tumursukh The news that the Swiss are investigating the possible corruption case involving the former Finance Minister S. Bayartsogt (DP) and Rio Tinto has triggered some agitated discussion, including on Facebook, about Mr. Bayartsogt’s central role in concluding … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Foreign Investment, International Agreements, Mining, Oyu Tolgoi, Undariya Tumursukh | 1 Comment

Unequal Match: Mongolia versus Rio Tinto

Posted on February 1, 2018 by mendee

By Mendee Jargalsaikhan If one describes the bargaining game between Mongolia, a small and isolated resource-rich state, and Rio Tinto, a giant multinational corporation, through the Mongolian national pastime sport – wrestling, it is truly an unequal match between the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Foreign Investment, International Agreements, Mendee Jargalsaikhan, Mining, Mongolia and ..., Oyu Tolgoi | Tagged MENDEE Jargalsaikhan | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Agreement between Canada and Mongolia for the Promotion and Protection of Investments – a Glance at Its Nature, Significance and Features

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Julian Dierkes

By Bajar Scharaw On 8 September 2016, Canada and Mongolia signed an international Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investments (the Canada-Mongolia Investment Agreement). The Agreement entered into force on 24 February 2017 and created legally-binding obligations for both … Continue reading →

Posted in Bajar Scharaw, Canada, Foreign Investment, Foreign Policy, International Agreements, Law, Trade | 2 Comments

Guest Post: Five Reasons Why Democracy in Mongolia is Working

Posted on November 1, 2017 by Julian Dierkes

By Daniel Schmücking and Adiyasuren J Mongolia is hailed as an ‘oasis of democracy’, as a shining example of democratic development, and as a model for other post-communist countries especially the Central Asian nations to strive to. Although, many challenges such … Continue reading →

Posted in Adiya Jamiyandagva, Civil Society, Constitution, Daniel Schmücking, Democracy, Development, Foreign Policy, Global Indices, Governance, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Media and Press | Leave a comment

Pleased by the Khurelsukh Cabinet

Posted on October 22, 2017 by mendee

By Mendee Jargalsaikhan The recent political developments in Ulaanbaatar have brought ‘hopes’ for some and ‘disappointments’ for others while being simply neglected by the majority as ‘typical’ political jokers and gaming. Because of the lack of FORMAL institutional lockings, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Judiciary, Mendee Jargalsaikhan, Mongolian People's Party, Politics | Tagged MENDEE Jargalsaikhan | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Resource Governance Index Points to SOEs as Key Reform Target

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Julian Dierkes

By N Dorjdari NRGI’s Resource Governance Index measures good governance in the extractives sectors of 81 countries. This year, Mongolia’s mining sector ranked 15th out of 89 assessed extractive sectors, with an overall score of 64 out of 100 points—a … Continue reading →

Posted in Dorjdari Namkhaijantsan, Global Indices, Mining, Mining, Mining Governance, Sovereign Wealth Fund | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Beyond the Ballot – Mongolia’s General Election Commission

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Julian Dierkes

By Jessica Keegan Mongolia’s General Election Commission (GEC) has been in existence since 1992 and is responsible for administering free, fair and credible elections. As with any young democracy, the institution has at times struggled to keep up with Mongolia’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Jessica Keegan, Presidential 2017, Public Opinion, Public Service | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Missing at the Kazakh Expo Party

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Julian Dierkes

By Dénes Jäger The Vatican, Yemen, Antigua and Barbuda are only three of over 100 states participating in this year‘s Expo in Astana Kazakhstan. Even though the concept of an international exposition seems to be a little outdated in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Dénes Jäger, Foreign Policy, Kazakhstan | Leave a comment

Beyond “Populism without Party Platforms”: Mongolians’ Politics Beyond Ulaanbaatar

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Marissa Smith

By Marissa Smith The campaign and election of the rough-voiced businessman-judoka Kh. Battulga to the presidency of Mongolia has elicited comparisons to Donald Trump and gestures to a global wave of “populism” from analysts and commentators, journalistic as well as … Continue reading →

Posted in Countryside, Democratic Party, Demography, Elections, Erdenet, Kazakhs, Marissa Smith, Mongolian Diaspora, Mongolian People's Party, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, Populism, Presidential 2017 | Tagged Marissa Smith | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Not Hans and George but Battulga?

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Julian Dierkes

By Dénes Jäger In Turkish media the result of the Mongolian presidential elections didn’t really attract much attention. Most outlets only published a footnote, while some, interestingly, depicted Battulga as being a candidate close to Vladimir Putin. Naturally, Turkey currently … Continue reading →

Posted in Bilateral Aid, Dénes Jäger, Foreign Policy, Turkey | 1 Comment

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