IU to host Mongolia Society

The U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia will be speaking at the Mongolia Society meeting today at 9 a.m. in Woodburn Hall room 101. Ambassador Pamela Slutz and Deputy Mongolian Ambassador to the U.S., Ts. Jambaldorj will be two of the dignitaries attending the conference. The State Department's new Mongolia desk officer will also be present.\nIU is holding the annual meeting in conjunction with the Central Eurasian Studies Society conference. Featured events will include research paper presentations, film viewings and musical performances. \nBoth ambassadors will be keynote speakers for the event.\nThe meetings are free and open to the public, and will touch upon issues like education, interethnic relations and socio-economic problems within Mongolia. \nThe Buskirk-Chumley Theater will hold "Silk Road: A Musical and Cultura l Journey," featuring artists performing dances and music of the inner-Asian region Saturday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.\n"The Mongolian Society (at IU) is the oldest Mongolian society in the world," said Susie Drost, manager and treasurer for the Society. \nCurrently in its 43rd year, the international Society was founded in 1961 by John Gombojab Hangin while he was a graduate student at Columbia University. After transferring to IU, Hangin established the Mongolian Society, which is based in Bloomington. \nThe Society usually meets with various organizations in order to gain members, said Drost. Last year's meetings were held in New York with the Association for Asian Studies.\n"IU is the only university in the U.S. that teaches Mongolian studies," she said. \nPossessing some of the largest untapped mineral deposits in Asia, Mongolia became a 'soviet satellite' in 1921 after gaining independence from Chinese rule -- with the help of the Soviet Union. In 1990, the country's formerly communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party began to gradually hand over power to the Democratic Union Coalition. The recent elections left the government cabinet positions equally divided between the two parties. \n"It's one of the most successful democracies in post-Soviet (inner-Asia)," said Christopher Atwood, associate professor the Central Eurasian Studies department. "You can't say the same about Russia ... Uzbekistan ... Azerbaijan." \nHe added that such a society was relevant to the United States because Mongolian history influenced Eurasian history.\nDespite improving political and trade ties with economic powers, such as China, Japan, Russia and the U.S., the country remains reliant on economic aid and is vulnerable to harsh weather.\n"It's one of the few countries in the world where nomadic pastoralizing is still being practiced," he said. "Other aspects of their art and culture are also very distinctive." \n"IU is famous among people in Mongolia (that know about the U.S.)," he said. \n-- Contact staff writer Obaid Khawaja at okhawaja@indiana.edu.