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About the American Center for Mongolian Studies
The American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) was incorporated in April 2002 to encourage and facilitate academic projects in Mongolia and Inner Asia, a broad region consisting of Mongolia and parts of China, Russia and Central Asia, including Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Buryatia, Tuva and eastern Kazakhstan.
The mission of the ACMS is to support the development of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies and the dissemination of knowledge about this little known, but important, region. Inner Asia is strategically located between two of the world's superpowers, and marks the eastern edge of Central Asia. This region has close historical and cultural ties to China, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and Tibet. The field of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies is not well represented in US and international academic institutions, however, and research funding for graduate and post-graduate students and scholars is limited.
Since the fall of Communism in 1990, an increasing number of international scholars and students have been drawn to Mongolia for research and study because of the country's open political and economic system, its pristine steppe environment, its role in world history, and its enduring nomadic culture. Since 1990, over 70 PhD dissertations and Master's theses have been completed at US institutions on topics related to Mongolia and Inner Mongolia. Numerous other post-graduate researchers are also active in the region. Over fifty on-going research projects have been identified by the ACMS, and several US institutions, such as the School for International Training and the University of Pittsburgh, have undergraduate and graduate study abroad programs in Mongolia. However, many international scholars and students have experienced difficulties and frustrations due to the chaotic state of Mongolian higher education and a lack of support and coordination on the ground and in the field of Mongolian Studies.
With the goal of addressing some of these challenges, the ACMS established a permanent office in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in May 2004, with the support of its 21 charter member institutions and the US Department of Education's Title VI program for American Overseas Research Centers. Staffed by US Resident Director, Brian White, MPA, and Mongolian Deputy Director, Demchig Enkhbaatar, MA, the ACMS Ulaanbaatar office offers logistical support to students and researchers, a liaison with the Mongolian government and academic institutions, a meeting place for US, Mongolian and international scholars, a venue for presentations and conferences, and a repository for research reports, dissertations, books, journals and other published and unpublished material. The ACMS publishes a regular newsletter, maintains many web based resources and offers a listserv to disseminate information on research opportunities, research results and conditions, and information on opportunities for language and cultural study and exchange.
Since its opening, the Center has quickly grown to play a central role in fostering academic cooperation between US and Mongolian institutions and scholars. It has offered organizational, monetary and academic support for a number of important projects in support of the development of the field of Mongolian Studies. These projects seek to build cooperation between US and Mongolian institutions and individuals and help the develop higher education teaching and research in Mongolia.
The ACMS is being developed in close cooperation with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), a consortium of 16 existing American Overseas Research Centers located throughout the world. The ACMS is CAORC's first member in East and Central Asia. Preliminary discussions about the creation of a new American Overseas Research Center in Mongolia culminated in an organizational meeting held in Washington, DC on April 4, 2002. Led by Mary Ellen Lane, CAORC's Executive Director, the meeting brought together individuals representing a variety of American colleges, universities, museums, government agencies and non-profit institutions involved in the field of Mongolian Studies. Following this meeting, the ACMS incorporated and achieved 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status, created a Steering Committee, and established a home office at Austin College in Texas. Charles Krusekopf, Assistant Professor of Economics at Austin College, was selected as the US-based Executive Director of the ACMS. The home office for the ACMS is now located at Western Washington University, in Bellingham, WA. Funding for ACMS operations and programs is provided by Member Institutions, individual members, the US Government and private foundations. Click here for membership information!
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Last Updated: January 5, 2006