Mining and Environment in Northern Mongolia
with Gantulga Bayasgalan (PhD)
This course focuses on the human-environment relations through the context of mining activities in the northern regions of Mongolia. Furthermore, it will introduce historical background and current situation of the mining industry in Mongolia and its impact on the Mongolian economy. The course will discuss environmental concerns related to the mining activities and following social consequences to the local community. Participants will evaluate the possible solutions to provide sustainability in the future to the industry and measures to mitigate the impact to the environment.

Recordings of lectures for all sessions available to enrollees on the LearnDash platform. For detailed session dates, please look at Course Outline
Course Overview
Led by Mongolian geoscientist Gantulga Bayasgalan, this Field School focuses on social and environmental knowledge practices on nature and human relations, especially with the emphasis of mining activities in the Northern Mongolian regions. Participants in this program learn from instructors and guest lecturers about not only their goals and concerns, but also their ways of addressing and achieving them with special scope on environmental issues from mining. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in online meetings, discussions, and activities of their interest, directed by the instructor. At the end of the course, students will have experience in human-environment relations with a special emphasis on mining activities in Northern Mongolia. They will have an opportunity to properly analyze, plan, discuss and present the results with best management practices for many issues confronting local communities. Students will be able to engage in meaningful discussions on common environment and sustainability topics led by the instructor. Furthermore, through their assignments, students will learn how to propose, design, and implement a research project on environmental and social issues based on the knowledge they obtained. This is an interdisciplinary course that incorporates aspects of the environment, geology-mining, sociology, humanities, sustainability science, cultural heritage, and other fields.
Conduct an 8-week series of once or bi-weekly lecture/seminar meetings with a length of 1 hour 30 minutes, including presentations from instructors and by participants as well as guest lecturers. The session topics and schedules are as following:
Session 1. The history of the Mongolian mining industry from the early twentieth century
April 5, Monday, 10:00 a.m. (UTC+8), 60-90 min
Session 2. The leverage to the economy of Mongolia, A mining boom during the Soviet era, and its legacy
April 12, Monday, 10:00 a.m. (UTC+8), 60-90 min
Session 3. The democracy: Development and challenges confronting mining sector in the post-1990s
April 19, Monday, 10:00 a.m. (UTC+8), 60-90 min
Session 4. Environmental laws, and regulations its implementation
April 26, Monday, 10:00 a.m. (UTC+8), 60-90 min
Session 5. Erdenet: The Cu-Mo mining industry and its impact on the Mongolian economy
May 3, Monday, 10:00 a.m. (UTC+8), 60-90 min
Session 6. Issues surrounding Environmental Impact Assessment
May 10, Monday, 10:00 a.m. (UTC+8), 60-90 min
Session 7. The environmental reclamation and mining closures
May 17, Monday, (UTC+8), 60-90 min
Session 8. All about Oyu Tolgoi
May 24, Monday, 10:00 a.m. (UTC+8), 60-90 min
Session 9. Coal Industry in Mongolia, Environmental and economic challenges (Domestic and International issues)
May 28, Friday, 10:00 a.m. (UTC+8)
Session 10. Closing session, Recapitulation | May 31, Monday, 10:00 a.m. (UTC+8)
Instructor

Gantulga Bayasgalan, PhD
Dr. Gantulga Bayasgalan is a lecturer in the School of Geology and Mining Engineering, Mongolian University of Science and Technology. He is an environmental geologist specializing in the investigation of geologic-environment and human-environment relationships, geomorphology-active tectonics and earth surface processes. Dr. Gantulga utilizes a range of methods in his research, including field research, remote sensing and GIS analysis, geophysics and environmental impact assessment with focus on geo-environment. His main area of field research is The Khangay Mountains in Mongolia where he has been working since 2000. Dr. Gantulga has a BSc in Environmental Science from National University of Mongolia, and a PhD in Geomorphology from the North Carolina State University.