The Asia Foundation Awards 10 Scholarships for Mongolia’s First Gender Studies Master’s Program

Ulaanbaatar, April 17, 2024 — The Asia Foundation awarded scholarships to ten outstanding scholars admitted to Mongolia’s first Gender Studies Master’s Degree Program. The cohort and graduate program mark a critical milestone in fostering inclusive dialogue and advancing gender equity across the country. The selected students represent a collective committed to promoting social justice and equality and come from a diverse number of sectors, including the private sector, media, civil society, and government. Launched in 2023 by the National University of Mongolia (NUM), the gender studies program is a multidisciplinary and intersectional course of study that fosters national academic excellence and bolsters regional connections to provide opportunities for Mongolian scholars to contribute to the international discourse on gender equality and women’s rights.

At the scholarship award ceremony held on April 2, Professor Badarch Dendev, President of NUM, emphasized the importance of the Gender Studies program for Mongolia:

“The National University of Mongolia stands as the oldest yet foremost higher education university in Mongolia, and we are thrilled to have launched the country’s first-ever Gender Studies master’s program. This initiative co-supported by The Asia Foundation not only bolsters our university’s strategic vision to ascend as a research-focused institution through the expansion of interdisciplinary education and research but also aligns with Mongolia’s efforts to foster gender equality across the country through academia. Most importantly, the program lays the foundation for the future establishment of such programs at different academic institutions in Mongolia.”

Sara Taylor, The Asia Foundation’s country representative in Mongolia.

Sara Taylor, The Asia Foundation’s country representative in Mongolia, highlighted the recent partnership achievements of this initiative.

“The Asia Foundation is proud to have played a crucial role in enhancing regional cooperation for the sustainability of the Gender Studies Master’s program, by facilitating the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National University of Mongolia and Ewha Woman’s University of the Republic of Korea in February 2024. This collaboration is pivotal in connecting the program with regional partners, ensuring its sustainability by fostering excellence through academic exchange.”

Enkhbayar Tumur-Ulzii, Head of Secretariat, National Committee on Gender Equality

In her welcoming message, the Head of the Secretariat of the National Committee on Gender Equality Mongolia, Enkhbayar Tumur-Ulzii, extended congratulations to the first cohort of scholars:

“The National Committee on Gender Equality will be a partner and supporter in any way for this cohort’s researchers and academics to enrich the scholarly publications and articles regarding Mongolia’s progress on gender equality. We believe that the first cohort of the Gender Studies program will encourage many more generations to pursue and contribute to this field.”

The Gender Studies scholarships have been made possible through the generous support of the Foundation’s Lotus Circle community of committed individuals and organizations who support our Women’s Empowerment program to strengthen economic, social, and political rights and opportunities for women and girls in Asia.

Sarah Taylor and President of NUM, Professor Badarch Dendev, with the ten scholarship awardees.

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives and expanding opportunities across Asia and the Pacific. Informed by 70 years of experience and deep local knowledge, our work is focused on governance, climate action, gender equality, education and leadership, inclusive growth, and international cooperation. We work in more than 20 countries through our 17 permanent country offices and programs across Asia and the Pacific, supported by a headquarters in San Francisco and an office in Washington, DC. Our funding comes from a diverse array of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.

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