The ACMS sponsored two academic panels at the Central Eurasian Studies Society annual meeting held at the University of Washington in Seattle October 19-21, 2007. One panel exmanined Mongolian Buddhism, and the other the Social Impact of Mining in Mongolia. The panels were well received, with approximately 20 people attending each panel. One suggestion from participants was in the future the ACMS might host cross-regional panels, rather than panels solely focused on Mongolia, to foster scholarly collaborations on topics, such as the two presented here, that are of interest to scholars working in other Central Asian countries.

The Mongolia Buddhism presentations included:

"The Secret History of the Mongols in the U.S.:  Race, Buddhism and 'Mongolians' in the United States”
By Rudy Busto, Associate Professor from the Department of Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara.

“The Ritual Veneration of Mongolian Mountains”
By Jared Lindahl, a PhD Candidate in the Department of Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

“Emerging Narratives in the Contemporary Religious Revival of Buddhism in Mongolia”
By Catherine Tsuji, PhD student in the Department of Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

“Constructions and Legitimizations of Buddhist Legal Systems in Mongolia”
By Vesna A. Wallace, Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

The Social Impact of Mining in Mongolia presentations included:

“The Path of Mongolian Public Policy on Mining”
By Julian Dierkes, Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

“Open Pits and Pitfalls: Mining, Water and Income Security on the Mongolian Steppe”
By Lesley Johnston a student in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada