Category Archives: Development

Learning about Development Policy in Uvs Aimag

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Julian Dierkes

I just visited Uvs province in Western Mongolia for the first time and had the chance to meet with stakeholder representatives from government, civil society, small businesses, and the corporate sector to learn about their development policy. Fascinating 1st visit … Continue reading →

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Posted in CIRDI, Civil Society, Countryside, Development, Mining, Policy, Policy, Regulation, Social Issues, Social Movements, Water | Tagged | 2 Comments

Methodology as a Methodology

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Julian Dierkes

As exhausting as all-day meetings with stakeholders can be (with a bit of jetlag, multiple languages and instant coffee thrown into the mix), I am always fascinated by how individuals present themselves, what they are looking for, and how questions … Continue reading →

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Posted in CIRDI, Countryside, Curios, Social Issues, Society and Culture | Tagged | Leave a comment

Guest Post: Mongolia 2016 – Will there be light at the end of the tunnel?

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Julian Dierkes

By Stefan Hanselmann If the development of the last quarter of 2015 can serve as an indicator, we can eventually expect for next year some real light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, Mongolia had to learn the hard … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bilateral Aid, Business, Development, Diversification, Economics, Foreign Investment, Ikh Khural 2016, Inflation, Mining, Oyu Tolgoi, Policy, Politics, Stefan Hanselmann | Leave a comment

Countryside Impressions

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Julian Dierkes

On recent visits, I have generally been stuck in Ulaanbaatar. In late October, however, I had the opportunity to travel out to Arvaikheer, the capital of Uvurkhangai and to collect some impressions from this brief foray into the countryside. As … Continue reading →

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Posted in CIRDI, Countryside, Curios, Development | Tagged | Leave a comment

Appreciating the Work of the Canadian Embassy

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Julian Dierkes

I am not even Canadian, and I don’t work for the Canadian or for the Mongolian government for that matter, though they are obviously important interlocutors for me given my interest in economic, political, and social development in Mongolia. Yet, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bilateral Aid, Canada, Foreign Policy, Governor General's Visit 2013 | Tagged | 2 Comments

DFATD Announcement of FM Baird Visit

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Julian Dierkes

On July 22 the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development confirmed previous reporting in the Mongolia press that Foreign Minister Baird will be visiting Mongolia later this week: In his first trip to Mongolia, Baird will discuss the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bilateral Aid, Canada, Development, Foreign Investment, Foreign Policy, International Relations | Tagged | Leave a comment

FM Baird to Visit Mongolia

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Julian Dierkes

According to Mongolian news sources ( 24 Tsag | infomongolia.com), Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird will be visiting Ulaanbaatar July 23-25. There’s no official Canadian announcement as of July 20, but let’s assume that this visit is really happening, after … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bilateral Aid, Business, Canada, Diaspora, Foreign Policy, International Agreements, International Relations, Mongolia and ... | Tagged | Leave a comment

Canadian Development Aid

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Julian Dierkes

The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development revised its list of priority countries in June 2014 to include Mongolia. Past Bilateral Engagement This is a further step in the long-term process to increase Canadian-Mongolian bilateral engagement. A bilateral … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bilateral Aid, Canada, Development | Tagged | 4 Comments

Mongolia in the 2014 Social Progress Index

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Julian Dierkes

[This post was written jointly by Undral Amarsaikhan and Julian Dierkes] On April 2, the Social Progressive Imperative released its 2014 Social Progress Index. For the first time, this included Mongolia. The Social Progressive Index is an index of indices … Continue reading →

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Posted in Air Pollution, Corruption, Development, Economics, Education, Global Indices, Governance, Nomadism, Policy, Policy, Primary and Secondary Education, Research on Mongolia, Social Change, Undral Amarsaikhan, Water | Tagged | 1 Comment

Mongolia-Australia Mining Partnership

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Julian Dierkes

During FM Lu Bold’s visit to Australia, there has now been an announcement of a grand “Mining Partnership” between Mongolia and Australia to the tune of A$20m over 5 years. From Julie Bishop, Australian Foreign Minister’s website: Mongolian Foreign Minister … Continue reading →

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Posted in Australia, Bilateral Aid, Development, Foreign Policy, Governance, Mongolia and ... | Tagged | Leave a comment

Foreign Policy, Mining & Development

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Julian Dierkes

I happened to catch a segment of CBC’s “The 180” radio show that included an interview with Erin O’Toole, the Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade. The segment focused on the “marriage” of foreign policy, development aid, and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bilateral Aid, Canada, Development, Foreign Policy | Tagged | Leave a comment

If not an SWF then what?

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

At the recent World Economic Forum’s “Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Mongolia” I heard a lot of talk about the need for the Mongolian government to shed its direct involvement in the economy, but also the recommendation to rely … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Development, Diversification, Economics, Foreign Investment, JD Mining Governance, Sovereign Wealth Fund | Tagged | 5 Comments

Solutions to the Current Economic Crisis?

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

Previously, I have written about economic and political aspects of the challenges currently facing Mongolia. Right now, the economic situation seems a bit like a “wicked problem” or a quagmire, and I see relatively little cause for short-term optimism, but … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Development, Economics, Foreign Investment, Governance, Inflation, JD Mining Governance, Mining, Mining, Policy, Politics | Tagged | 2 Comments

Politics During the Current Economic Crisis

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

There is no political crisis in the sense of any conflict within parliament or between parliament and the president. Nor are there major scandals at the moment. However, there does appear to be a crisis in the sense of the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Development, Economics, Foreign Investment, Governance, Inflation, Mining, Mining, Oyu Tolgoi, Party Politics, Policy, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

Anatomy of the Current Economic Crisis

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

Having spent last week in Ulaanbaatar, it is clear to me that the current crisis is a) more severe than I had thought, and b) more real/less perceived than I had thought. Below, I try to list elements in this … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, China, Corruption, Development, Economics, Foreign Investment, Governance, Inflation, JD Mining Governance, Mining, Oyu Tolgoi, Policy, Politics | Tagged | 3 Comments