Subject: This Month in Mongolian Studies: March 2026

March 2026

A Word from the Director

From all of us at ACMS, happy Year of the Fire Horse!

Although February was a short month, it was jam-packed. From hosting our annual Tsagaan Sar Workshop and Celebration to announcing several exciting new initiatives, we have kept busy.

Read on to learn more about and apply for upcoming opportunities like our second annual "A Steppe Closer" virtual panel series with Western Washington University and our new joint International Mongolia Humanities Forum with SOAS University of London and the Embassy of Mongolia in the UK. If you want to gain hands-on archaeological experience this summer, consider registering for our new Educational Tour: Echoes of the Past. Or for those of you in Mongolia, stop by the American Corner on March 10 for our next Speaker Series lecture, featuring Dr. Amgalan Batsuuri.

And if you enjoy the work we do, consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation. Spring is a time of new beginnings and exciting movement, and we need your help to continue growing in this new year. Thank you for your support, best wishes for March and beyond.

Sincerely,
Maggie Lindrooth
U.S. Director, ACMS

ACMS Events

Join Us! ACMS Reception at the Association for Asian Studies Conference

In partnership with Western Washington University, ACMS invites you to join us for a Mongolian Studies Reception at the Association for Asian Studies Conference in Vancouver, BC on Saturday, March 14 from 6-9pm at the Coal Harbour Community Center, just steps from the conference venues! More details coming soon.

Upcoming Speaker Series:
Evaluating Sustainability Policies by Measuring Well-Being

Dr. Amgalan Batsuuri is an expert on sustainability policies, migration, and well-being studies. Amgalan will provide insight into the relationship between sustainability policies and resident well-being in Ulaanbaatar’s Ger District, the gap between policy and its implementation, and how this affects residents’ well-being. She will grant a glimpse into how policymakers manage informal settlements at national, municipal, and district levels. Join us at the American Corner, Natsagdorj Library at 5:30pm on March 10, 2026.

Past Speaker Series: Black History Month 101

To honor Black History Month in the U.S., ACMS hosted a special lecture by Dr. Desmond W. Delk, Fulbright Scholar at the Public Health Institute of the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences. This lecture covered the significance of Black excellence, history, and cultural influence by exploring the origins and evolution of Black History Month in the U.S. Dr. Delk discussed the contributions of leading Black activists and pioneers in the U.S. while intertwining meaningful connections between African-American experiences and Mongolia. Coming soon to our YouTube channel!

ACMS Tsagaan Sar Celebration

The American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) has been working with students, scholars, and researchers who are interested in studying Mongolia for the past 20 years. To celebrate, ACMS organizes Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year) workshop annually to share about the important cultural values and customs associated with the traditional holiday.

This year, ACMS welcomed over 20 participants, including Peace Corps Volunteers, Fulbrighters, Princeton in Asia Fellows, and ACMS friends. Together, the participants engaged in various cultural customs, including learning the traditional greetings (zolgolt), ankle-bone games, and wearing traditional clothes. In addition to the educational activities, delicious traditional foods like buuz, fermented mare's milk (airag), and capital salad were offered to the guests.

ACMS Opportunities

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.

Call for Proposals: International Mongolia Humanities Forum

ACMS, in partnership with SOAS University of London and the Embassy of Mongolia in the UK are proud to announce that we are now accepting proposals for the inaugural International Mongolia Humanities Forum (IMHF)!

The IMHF is an interdisciplinary academic symposium dedicated to advancing scholarly research on Mongolia and Mongolia-related topics across the humanities. We welcome postgraduate (MA & PhD) students undertaking dissertations/research to submit papers exploring Mongolia’s history, culture, language, literature, religion, and heritage from interdisciplinary humanities perspectives.

Scheduled for May 9, 2026, this online forum seeks to foster global dialogue and showcase innovative research on Mongolia in regional and global contexts. All participants will receive expert feedback on their work and/or work-in-progress. Learn more and submit your proposal by March 13, 2026 here.

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!

If you wish to learn about the program from experts leading the courses, check out our December 2025 webinar here. In addition, while our priority fellowship consideration deadline has passed, don't forget to apply by March 20 for fellowship waitlist consideration!

Exclusive Educational Tour: Echoes of the Past

ACMS and the Institute of Nomadic Archaeology at the National University of Mongolia are thrilled to announce our exclusive educational tour: Echoes of the Past. The tour, led by two Mongolian archeologists from the National University of Mongolia, will take participants on an archaeological exploration of the Khoid Tamir River Valley's deep past.

Taking place in one of the most iconic archeological sites of Mongolia, participants will engage in a real archaeological expedition focused on deer stones and other historic artifacts. If you wish to take part in a hands-on experience and seek answers from the past, please click here to learn more about the program.

Date: June 25-July 9, 2026

Location: Khoid Tamir Valley, Mongolia

Register Here

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

Publications

Rural Transitions in Mongolia and Central Asia

This volume focuses on the ongoing transitions of pastoral and rural communities in Central Asia. Highlighting the themes of contemporary pastoralism and adaptations of rural pastoralist livelihoods after the COVID-19 pandemic, this work provides insight into the Inner Asian region through extensive examination of rural experiences.

Please access this collaborative work of diverse authors and scholars spanning Japan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, the UK, and the USA through this link.

Lunar New Year Across America

The New York Times recently highlighted the unique cultural celebrations that welcome the Year of the Horse. The article, “Lunar New Year Across America,” by Chevaz Clarke, Miya Lee, and Emily Wolfe, shone a spotlight on how various communities across the U.S. celebrate the Lunar New Year.

One of them was the Tsagaan Sar Celebration of the Tundev family, a Mongolian-American family residing in Los Angeles. The family members shared the customs and traditions of Mongolian Tsagaan Sar, and how they preserve their history and heritage while residing in the United States. To read about the unique celebration of the Tundev family, click here.

Upcoming Office Closures

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

March 8, 2026: International Women's Day

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.