Subject: This Month in Mongolian Studies: February 2026

February 2026

A Word from the Director

Happy New Year!

It's difficult to believe January has come and gone and we're already a month into 2026. And while the Mongolian winter may be in full swing, that's not going to stop us here at ACMS! With Tsagaan Sar just around the corner and summer on the horizon, we've been keeping warm and plenty busy.

Read on to learn all about our upcoming events, exciting ACMS opportunities including Field Schools, fellowships, and language classes, and exciting news, updates, and CfPs from our partners and friends around the world.

And if you value the work of ACMS as much as I do, consider making a tax-deductible donation today. Your support helps us continue offering the classes, workshops, events, conferences, and fellowships that have brought so many of you to Mongolia over the years.

Thank you so much for your support, and read on to get updated on all things ACMS!

Sincerely,

Maggie Lindrooth

U.S. Director, ACMS

ACMS Events

ACMS Annual Tsagaan Sar Workshop

American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) is hosting our annual workshop on Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year, on February 10th, 2026!

The workshop, instructed by an expert in Mongolian language and traditions, Dr. Tsermaa Tomorbaatar, invites everyone who is interested in celebrating Tsagaan Sar like a local. Join us to learn about the customs and traditions of this national holiday as we welcome the Year of the Horse!

Date and time: February 10, 2026, 6-8pm

Location: American Center for Mongolian Studies Office

Don’t miss this chance to experience Mongolian culture firsthand and celebrate among an international community!

Survival Mongolian Classes for Beginners

ACMS is excited to offer a "Survival Mongolian" language class for beginners! ACMS's language instructor, Dr. Tsermaa Tomorbaatar, has over 30 years of experience teaching Mongolian to foreigners, and invites you to join her in February to kickstart your Mongolian language-learning journey, make new friends, and get to know ACMS.

Dates: February 2-13, 2026
Schedule: 8-10am, Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Fees: 360,000 MNT

Each class will have a maximum of ten students. Email Tsermaa@mongoliacenter.org to sign up!

February 25: Join Our Mongolia Field School Webinar!

Join us for a webinar about our 2026 Mongolia Field Schools, where we will introduce prospective applicants to a detailed walkthrough of the course syllabus. The course instructors will guide you through the key topics and learning objectives, highlighting each course's unique exploration. Participants will be given the opportunity to interact with the instructors with the Q&A session of the webinar!

Date: February 25, 2026

Time: 8:00 PM ULAT (12 PM GMT)
Registration will be announced soon. Stay tuned!

If you are unable to participate, we will be sharing the recorded video to all registrants to ensure that everyone can access this valuable information. Register now!

ACMS Opportunities

Apply to the 2026 Mongolia Field School!

ACMS is now accepting applications for the Mongolia Field School 2026.

The Field School offers an immersive educational experience designed to provide both academic insight and hands-on experience in Mongolian studies and related fields. MFS welcomes scholars, researchers, students, teachers, and anyone interested in embarking on a journey to explore Mongolia’s natural habitat, biodiversity, cultural heritage, and traditional culture. This year, we are offering partial-tuition fellowships for qualified applicants thanks to a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation!

Please visit our website here to learn more about this year's courses, and check out our December 2025 webinar here. And don't forget to apply by February 20 for priority fellowship consideration!

Call for Applications: Field Research Fellowships

ACMS is now accepting applications for summer 2026 Field Research Fellowships.

The program awards supplementary research support for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, and early career scholars of all nationalities and disciplines. We will offer fellowship of $1,000 and $2,000 each to a selected number of students, post-docs, or faculty to conduct short-term field research in Mongolia.

Application Deadline: February 20, 2026
Decision Release: Early March
Application submission: Here

Learn more about the fellowship by visiting our website here!

Call for Proposals: A Steppe Closer

ACMS and Western Washington University (WWU) are pleased to call for proposals for the second annual panel series in our initiative “A Steppe Closer: Cross-Border Collaboration and the Making of New Knowledge.” This joint initiative highlights international research partnerships between Mongolian scholars and their colleagues abroad, and will consist of an inaugural series of online presentations to be held via Zoom!

Proposal Submission Timeline: February 2 to March 6, 2026

Proposal Submission: Here.

If you wish to learn more about the initiative, please visit our website here.

A Steppe Closer's funding is generously provided by the John C. Street Endowment in Mongolia and Inner Asian Studies at Western Washington University.

Intensive Summer Mongolian Language Program 2026

Spend your summer learning the Mongolian Language in an authentic environment!

ACMS's Intensive Summer Mongolian Language Program 2026 participants will explore eight weeks of intensive instruction for beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level students learning modern Mongolian language and Classical Script. Over this period, participants will engage in classroom and supervised outside-the-classroom activities that will enable them to achieve fluent, accurate, and multi-functional communication. The program will also include visits to Mongolian homes, social and cultural events, organizations and institutions, and tours of local sites.

Scholarship Application Deadline: March 20, 2026
Self-funded deadline: April 17, 2026
Application Submission: Here

External Opportunities & Events

Register Now:
XVIII Annual Mongolian Studies Conference: February 6-7, 2026

The Mongolian Cultural Center will host the XVIII Annual Mongolian Studies Conference in partnership with the Embassy of Mongolia and the Smithsonian Institution from February 6-7, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Registration is open now, so click here to learn how to register and view the full conference schedule. ACMS U.S. Director Maggie Lindrooth is looking forward to attending and would love to see you there!

Call for Papers: GLECC 2026 (July 28-30, 2026)

The International Conference on Globalisation/Deglobalisation in Languages, Education, Culture, and Communication (GLECC 2026) in Manchester, UK aims to bring together researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers from array of fields to discuss research, share findings, and exchange ideas related to globalization in a multidisciplinary environment.

Learn more about this conference and submit your abstract by April 30 here.

Call for Panels: B/ordering the Global: Transnational Feminist Critiques from Asia (July 9-11, 2026)

The Asian Center for Women's Studies at Ewha Women's University in Seoul, South Korea invites scholars and practitioners to submit panel proposals for their international hybrid conference on "B/ordering the Global: Transnational Feminist Critiques from Asia."

Click here to learn more about this conference and submit a panel proposal by February 23 (no individual papers accepted).

Publications

Mongol Vodka: Article by Susan Zimmerman

This fascinating article written by journalist, writer, and friend of ACMS Susan Zimmerman was featured as the cover story of Drinks International, one of the global spirits industry’s leading trade publications! Written this summer and featuring photographs by award-winning photographer Randall Hyman, the article provides an intriguing look at traditional fermented Mongolian beverages and their current place in Mongolia’s culture and economy. ACMS is honored to have facilitated research connections, meetings, and transportation for both Susan and Randall during their time in Mongolia. Read the full article here!

NOMADS: Book by Daniel J. Miller

Longtime ACMS friend Daniel Miller’s new book NOMADS is now available for purchase! Featuring eighty one photographs of nomads from his 50 years of work and journeys he embarked on in the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, and the Mongolian Steppe, this book is published to celebrate the international Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026. Check the book out here!

Conquering the North: Book by John Man

Exploring 2,000 years of history between China, Russia, and Mongolia, British author John Man's new book Conquering the North was released on December 2, 2025. The book covers lesser-known parts of this history through a rich literary style that captivates readers.

Please visit here to read ACMS U.S. Director Maggie Lindrooth's review highlighting the book's uniqueness. ACMS also recently spoke to John Man about his book, research, and what's upcoming for him. Go to our Youtube Channel to watch the full discussion!

Upcoming Office Closures

ACMS will be closed on the following days in February 2026:

February 16, 2026: Presidents' Day (US)

February 17-20, 2026: Tsagaan Sar Holiday (Mongolia)

Interested in becoming more involved with the ACMS? In addition to checking out our website or following us on social media to stay up to date, consider becoming a member online or by stopping by our UB office located at Natsagdorj Library, East Entrance, Seoul St-7, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Additionally, keep your eye out for future newsletters that will include more resources, upcoming events, CfPs, and more.

As always, our Mongolian language classes are available on Zoom or in-person in our Ulaanbaatar office. Contact Tsermaa for more details. And don't forget, many of our library resources are available online as well! So until next time, happy reading and enjoy your winter.