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Byambakhand Chuluundorj, associate professor of Mongolian Language and Linguistics at the National University of Mongolia, is the Henry J. Schwarz visiting instructor this quarter. She is teaching a beginning course in Mongolian Language and Culture in the East Asian Studies program in support of Western’s strategic partnership with her home institution.

Byambakhand, who has conducted research in many countries, is “amazed that Western -- thanks to Dr. Schwarz and the Library staff -- is conserving ancient and modern Mongolian books and sutras, especially because this is something that my own nomadic culture has not been able to do.”

In addition, she said she is impressed by her students’ active learning style, by the examples of leadership that she has encountered on campus, and by the beauty of the Bellingham area. Byambakhand said she hopes that NUM students might have the opportunity to study at Western so she plans to “share the knowledge, teaching methods, professionalism, and enthusiasm” that she has encountered at Western with her students and colleagues in Mongolia.

This is the third year in a row that Western has welcomed a faculty member from NUM to teach a course focused on Mongolia. In addition to this faculty exchange, Western’s David Sattler (Psychology) will collaborate with NUM colleagues to conduct field research in Mongolia this summer, and NUM is providing two scholarships to Western students who are interested in attending a summer intensive course in Mongolian language and culture in Mongolia.

Western’s partnerships with the National University of Mongolia and with the Mongolian National University of Education have developed in large part thanks to the generous donations made to the university by Schwarz as well as the late John C. (Jack)  Street, to support Mongolian Studies and the Mongolian collection in Western’s Libraries.

For more information on Western’s many Mongolian connections, contact Vicki Hamblin, executive director of Western's Institute for Global Engagement.