Subject: This Month in Mongolian Studies: July 2026

July 2026

A Word from the Director

Dear ACMS Community,

From multiple riveting Speaker Series lectures and workshops to the start of our summer programs, June has flown by in a blur of activity. We welcomed multiple summer interns and volunteers, said goodbye to our exhibition at the National Museum, and kicked off our Intensive Summer Mongolian Language Program and first Mongolia Field School of the summer 2026 season.

These comings and goings have provided ample time to reflect on the continued importance of cross-cultural exchange, international education, and global friendship. At ACMS, these concepts are at the heart of our work.

Just as Owen Lattimore and Dilowa Khutughtu Jamsranjav forged a lifelong, cross-border friendship beginning almost a century ago, so we continue to strive for stronger people-to-people ties between not only the U.S. and Mongolia, but globally.

If you value cultural exchange and understand the importance of Mongolia in both the world's history and its future, I encourage you to become a member of the ACMS or support us by making a tax-deductible donation today. Contributions from community members such as yourself make possible the many activities you'll read about below.

As we head into the Naadam holiday vacation, I wish you a safe, adventurous, restorative, and multifaceted month ahead. And in the spirit of friendship, curiosity, and connection, thank you for your continued engagement with ACMS.

Sincerely,
Maggie Lindrooth
U.S. Director, ACMS

ACMS News: June Recap

ACMS Intensive Summer Language Program Kickoff: June 2, 2026

Seven people stand in a classroom and pose for the camera.

We are thrilled to welcome the following seven students and faculty from across the US and UK to our Intensive Summer Mongolian Language Program, which began on June 2, 2026: Jay Husson (PhD Candidate, UC Berkeley), Elma Ling Hoffman (PhD Candidate, University of Cambridge), Dr. Kate Brown (Associate Prof., Georgia Institute of Technology), Daniel Cotter (MA Student, Indiana University Bloomington), Shuhao Liang (PhD Candidate, UPenn), Julia Zhou (MA Student, Yale University), and Jack Hernandez (PhD Candidate, University of Hawai'i)

Throughout the eight-week program, the students will participate in daily Mongolian language classes and discover Mongolian culture and life through various activities including visits to the Mongolian Parliament House, the UNESCO IISNC, and Terelj National Park, where they visited a nomadic family, rode horses, and learned to cook traditional Mongolian food.

American Days Fair Participation

From June 6-7, 2026, the ACMS team, interns, and volunteers participated in the US Embassy-sponsored American Days 2026 fair, held at Sukhbaatar Square.

At our booth, visitors had the chance to view a mobile, mini-version of the Khutughtu and Lattimore photo exhibition documenting the journeys and heritage of Diluv Khutughtu Jamsranjab and Owen Lattimore. Visitors were also able to join our international academic community by becoming ACMS Members, registering for Mongolia Field School 2026, and learning more about our Intensive Summer Mongolian Language Program. We also provided information about upcoming fellowship and research grant opportunities and other exciting community programs.

We were deeply honored to welcome the U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia, Richard Buangan, to our booth, who took the time to explore and learn about ACMS activities.

ACMS Speaker Series: "Crossing Many Borders: Building the Mongolian Collection at University of Pennsylvania"

A group of six women stand in front of a wall with the arms around each other, posing and smiling for the camera.

On June 9, the American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) and the National University of Mongolia Library jointly hosted a lecture by Dr. Anna-Alexandra Fodde-Reguer, Chinese and Mongolian Studies Librarian at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries.

In her presentation, “Crossing Many Borders: Building the Mongolian Collection at the University of Pennsylvania,” she shared insights into the development of Penn’s Mongolian collection, international collaboration, and collection-building practices. The event brought together more than 40 librarians and information professionals for a valuable exchange of ideas and experiences.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Fodde-Reguer for sharing her expertise and valuable experience with the Mongolian library community.

Khutughtu and Lattimore: Legacy Beyond Borders Exhibition Closure

A group of men and women standing outside on a hilltop smiling at the camera.

On June 12th, the exhibition Khutughtu and Lattimore: Legacy Beyond Borders closed after a successful month-long run at the National Museum of Mongolia.

This multidisciplinary cultural and academic initiative was led by the American Center for Mongolian Studies and the Diluv Hutugthu Foundation (DHF). In revisiting the intellectual and spiritual friendship between Diluv Khutughtu and Owen Lattimore, it is our hope that this project will preserve shared heritage and celebrate the enduring partnership between Mongolia and the United States. We seek to demonstrate how historical relationships continue to inspire contemporary academic cooperation, cultural exchange, and meaningful people-to-people connections, while hearing the stories of present-day experts, scholars, diplomats, and family members upon whom this friendship has left a lasting impact.

By digitizing and translating rare archival materials, fostering academic dialogue, and engaging diverse audiences through public programs and outreach including opportunities to hear from leading scholars such as Professor Christopher Atwood (University of Pennsylvania), this project seeks to preserve shared heritage while strengthening cultural understanding between Mongolia and the United States. At its core, the initiative promotes intergenerational learning and highlights the enduring relevance of this historical friendship in building contemporary international collaboration.

This project would not have been possible without a generous donation of photos, letters, and other family materials by Anne Lattimore Price, granddaughter of Owen Lattimore, to ACMS in fall 2024. We thank her and all the project and archival partners, as well as visitors, for making this beautiful project come to life!

For more information about Khutughtu and Lattimore: Legacy Beyond Borders, visit our website here.

ACMS Speaker Series Lecture and Book Discussion:
The Dilowa Khutughtu and His "Great Game"

On June 23, the ACMS successfully hosted a special edition of our Speaker Series at the lecture hall of the American Corner in the Ulaanbaatar City Public Library.

In collaboration with the Diluv Hutugthu Foundation, we were honored to welcome Dr. Bold Ravdan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, historian, and scholar, for a lecture and discussion on his newly published book, The Dilowa Khutughtu and His “Great Game."

Drawing from a comprehensive comparative study of archival materials from Mongolia, the United States, and Taiwan, Dr. Bold shared fascinating insights and delivered a detailed lecture on the life of Diluv Khutughtu and the international historical context surrounding his legacy. The lecture was followed by an engaging Q&A session among the visiting guests and researchers, concluding a warm and vibrant two-hour gathering.

A photo of an older Mongolian man with gray hair holding a large printed and framed photograph with two Mongolian women standing beside him.

A close-up picture of a hand signing the title page of a book that says, in Mongolian cyrillic script, “the Dilowa Hutughtu and his 'Great Game.'“

ACMS Speaker Series Special Edition Workshop: "On the Edge: Respectful Conservation for Buddhist Treasures"

A picture of an older American woman giving a presentation to a group of Mongolian students, conservators, and enthusiasts focused on conservation.

On June 25, the ACMS hosted a special edition of our Speaker Series at the National Library of Mongolia's Rare and Valuable Books Museum featuring Dr. Ann Shaftel, the Founder of the international NGO Treasure Caretaker Training and a conservator with extensive international expertise in preserving sacred art.

In this presentation and workshop, Dr. Shaftel explored the critical challenges and methodologies involved in the preservation of Buddhist heritage. Drawing on her global experience as a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation, a Fellow of the International Institute for Conservation, and an active member of CAPC, ICOM, and ICOMOS, she discussed respectful collecting practices, ethical community-based collection development policies, and practical future directions for safeguarding rare and general Buddhist collections. This talk provided invaluable insights into how cultural institutions and researchers can collaboratively build, preserve, and respect precious resources for the study of Mongolia’s rich spiritual and visual history.

We are grateful to Dr. Shaftel for her incredible contributions to this field and for her generosity in giving this presentation for ACMS and the National Library!

MFS Modern Nomads Kickoff

A group of American high school students stands in front of a large white marble building with a large statue of Genghis Khan behind them.

On Monday, June 29, 2026, we kicked off our first Mongolia Field School of the season, Modern Nomads: Social and Environmental Change in Mongolia.

Through this hands-on field course, 10 participants of a variety of ages and backgrounds spent six days in Hustai National Park examining how pastoral communities respond to increasingly extreme climatic conditions before returning to Ulaanbaatar to deepen their understanding of rural-urban migration and its impacts on city life.

We are glad that the Field School season has started and can’t wait to welcome the participants of our next two courses, Lens on Mongolia and Change and Continuity, later this month!

This program is generously funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. For more information about the Mongolia Field School, visit our website here.

External Opportunities and CfPs

Call for Abstracts: The Mongolia Society Annual Meeting and Panels

The Mongolia Society is accepting abstracts for individual papers and organized panels to be presented at their Annual Meeting at Western Washington University, scheduled to take place October 2-3, 2026. Submissions across all disciplines are encouraged.

Submission Deadline: July 19, 2026

For more information, visit the Mongolia Society website here.

Call for Proposals: Association for Asian Studies (AAS) 2027 in Boston

The Program Committee of the Association for Asian Studies is pleased to issue the Call for Proposals for the AAS 2027 Annual Conference, to be held March 18-21, 2027, in Boston, MA, at the Hynes Convention Center.

Panels and presentations related to Mongolia are highly encouraged. If you are interested in organizing a panel in conjunction with ACMS, please contact mlindrooth@mongoliacenter.org.

Submission Deadline: August 5, 2026

For more information, visit the AAS website here.

Call for Proposals: ASIANetwork 2027 Conference

ASIANetwork is accepting submissions for their 2027 Annual Conference, themed "Crossing Currents: Confluences, Conflicts, and Connections." This conference will take place April 16-18, 2027 at Seattle University in Seattle, WA and will highlight the challenges and opportunities in education about Asia, Asian diasporas, and Asian American/AAPI studies created by the shifting landscapes of geopolitics in our societies.

Faculty Proposal Deadline: August 31, 2026 (Panels, roundtables, and individual papers)
Student Proposal Deadline: October 1, 2026 (Poster sessions and individual papers) (Deadline: October 1, 2026)

Conference Program Chair: Dr. Jing Zhang (New College of Florida)

Learn more & Submit: Click here to view the official CFP

New Book Release

Gobi Dream: Poems and Photographs by John Delaney

Writer, curator, and photographer John Delaney is releasing his new book, Gobi Dream (Finishing Line Press) on August 21, 2026. This book chronicles Delaney's travel in Mongolia through a collection of moving poetry and beautiful photographs, and is available for pre-order here.

Official Release Date: August 21, 2026

Shop: Finishing Line Press Pre-Order Page

Upcoming Office Closures

July 10-17: Naadam Festival (MN)

Join the ACMS!

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.