Swiss Scholarships Offer for 2020/2021

04.09.2019 — Local news Mongolia

The Swiss Confederation offers talented and interested young scientists and researchers a number of scholarships for 2020/2021. The scholarships are intended primarily for young post-graduate scientists who would like to go to Switzerland to carry out research. No university scholarships for bachelor or master studies are granted. For more details, please refer to www.sbfi.admin.ch/scholarships_eng

The application package can be obtained by e-mail from the Swiss Cooperation Office of the Embassy of Switzerland – Consular Section in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The deadline for application submission is 12:00, December 12, 2019. The applications will be collected at the Swiss Cooperation Office of the Embassy of Switzerland. Incomplete or poorly prepared applications will not be considered.

The Contacts:

Swiss Cooperation Office of the Embassy Switzerland-Consular Section

Sky Plaza Business Centre, Embassy Street 12, Khoroo 1,

Sukhbaatar district, P.O. Box 37, 14210 Ulaanbaatar

E-mail: uba.kanzlei@eda.admin.ch

Tel: +976 11 331422

Call for proposals – Environment and Climate Change

22.07.2019 — Press release Mongolia

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s (SDC) overall objective in Mongolia is to contribute to the empowerment of Mongolian citizens and institutions towards an equitable, green and prosperous society, leaving no one behind. The current domains of intervention are Agriculture and Food Security, Governance and Basic and Vocational Education and Training.  

SDC Mongolia is calling for proposals for Small Action Projects to address environmental issues and promote climate change resilience of local communities in Mongolia, as well as knowledge generation, through innovative approaches and/or technological solutions. Projects should not exceed a duration of 18 months and be carried out in Mongolia.

Soum Development begins in the classroom

11.07.2019 — Local news Mongolia
We visited Burd and Khairkhandulaan Soums of Uvurkhangai Aimag in spring 2019 in order to report on the activities implemented by the Mainstreaming Social Accountability in Mongolia project (MASAM). Because of the season, it was windy and full of dust outside. However, inside the school classroom the people were full of warmth, understanding and respect towards each other.

Women Leadership Forum with 400 prominent national and local leaders

05.07.2019 — Press release Mongolia

In a bid to address the continued decline of female representation in politics in Mongolia, more than 400 people from throughout the country gathered at a Women Leaders’ Forum in June to discuss the challenges and ways ahead. 

The forum provided female Members of Parliament and representatives from Ulaanbaatar, rural khurals, development agencies and the media with a platform to share knowledge, experiences and best practices, expand their networks, and learn from one another.

SDC Director Gabriella Spirli’s speech at the celebration of 55 years of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and Switzerland and 15 years of SDC present in Mongolia: “Mongolia and his people will always be in my heart”

05.07.2019 — Press release Mongolia
“I am proud of the tangible results we have achieved together with our partners in all sectors that we are engaged in. Without modesty, I can say that we are making a difference - at national and provincial levels, but also at the level of people’s lives. The Mongolian artisanal small scale mining sector has been strengthened with ASM-related concerns anchored in important policies. More young people are attending vocational training schools and getting better chances to find a decent job. Local parliament members are empowered and better equipped to perform their duties, and recently initiated collaboration between the Mongolian Parliament Secretariat and Swiss Parliament Services have opened new avenues for partnership. The vegetables sector continued to be strengthened, e.g. by reducing vegetables imports from other countries. This list of our joint accomplishments is too long; I will never manage to be exhaustive.

An official visit of the President of National Council of the Swiss Confederation to Mongolia

04.07.2019 — Press release Mongolia
Marking the 55^th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 15^th year of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Mongolia, the President of the National Council of the Swiss Confederation Ms. Marina Carobbio Guscetti and the Swiss Ambassador to Mongolia Mr. Bernardino Regazzoni paid an official visit to Mongolia in June, on invitation from the Mongolian Parliamentary Speaker G. Zandanshatar.

Mongolia moves forward on rangeland protection

18.06.2019 — Press release Mongolia

With 57 percent of Mongolia’s rangelands already degraded, of which 10 percent are beyond recovery, the future for hundreds of thousands of herder families hangs in the balance. 

The urgency of situation was a call to action for the more than 850 people who gathered at Parliament House on May 7 to discuss ways to improve the current regulatory environment governing rangeland use and protection. Among them were 720 herders and representatives from all 21 aimags and 331 soums in Mongolia.

Improved access to services for survivors of gender-based violence

11.06.2019 — Press release Mongolia
Through the "Combating Gender-Based Violence in Mongolia" Project of UNFPA, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the Mongolian Government, seven new One Stop Service Centers (OSSCs) have been opened in five provinces - Khuvsgul, Bayan-Ulgii, Darkhan-Uul, Khentii, and Dornod - as well as two districts of Ulaanbaatar - Khan-Uul and Bayanzurkh - within the last year. Another two Centers are expected to be launched in Umnogobi and Uvurkhangai in 2019.

Tender for the implementation of the project Education for Sustainable Development Phase 2

27.05.2019 — Local news Mongolia
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has been assisting Mongolia’s fundamental reforms in education since 2007. In 2014 SDC initiated the “Education for Sustainable Development” (ESD) project jointly with the Government of Mongolia.

ASM Formalisation: Mongolia’s five ingredients for success

08.05.2019 — Press release Mongolia
An estimated 40 million people are engaged in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) around the world. We know that poverty is the most significant driver for this industry, and the dream of discovering a valuable deposit is hard to resist. In all countries, ASM remains predominantly informal; miners occupy the margins, and are a stigmatised sub-section of society living an economically and socially precarious existence. Governments and downstream companies are increasingly recognising that ASM, as the livelihood of many, could and should be considered a significant contributor to global development and granted a legitimate role in global supply chains. Formalising, legalising and regulating the sector has the potential to further many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from advancing gender equality to increasing the contribution of ASM to the local and national economy.

Vocational training project changed the face of Mongolia's TVET sector

07.03.2019 — Local news Mongolia
February 28 marked the end of the Cooperative Vocational Training in the Mineral Resource Sector Project, which supported the reform of Mongolia's technical and vocational education training (TVET) sector.

Improving service delivery for urban residents through the Horizontal Learning Process

18.02.2019 — Local news Mongolia
SDC's Local Governance Initiative and Network (LOGIN) organised a three-day Horizontal Learning Process workshop in February for the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar (MUB) within the scope of the Urban Governance Project (UGP) implemented by The Asia Foundation.

Call for proposals – Environment and Climate Change

22.07.2019 — Press release Mongolia

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s (SDC) overall objective in Mongolia is to contribute to the empowerment of Mongolian citizens and institutions towards an equitable, green and prosperous society, leaving no one behind. The current domains of intervention are Agriculture and Food Security, Governance and Basic and Vocational Education and Training.  

SDC Mongolia is calling for proposals for Small Action Projects to address environmental issues and promote climate change resilience of local communities in Mongolia, as well as knowledge generation, through innovative approaches and/or technological solutions. Projects should not exceed a duration of 18 months and be carried out in Mongolia.

Women Leadership Forum with 400 prominent national and local leaders

05.07.2019 — Press release Mongolia

In a bid to address the continued decline of female representation in politics in Mongolia, more than 400 people from throughout the country gathered at a Women Leaders’ Forum in June to discuss the challenges and ways ahead. 

The forum provided female Members of Parliament and representatives from Ulaanbaatar, rural khurals, development agencies and the media with a platform to share knowledge, experiences and best practices, expand their networks, and learn from one another.

SDC Director Gabriella Spirli’s speech at the celebration of 55 years of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and Switzerland and 15 years of SDC present in Mongolia: “Mongolia and his people will always be in my heart”

05.07.2019 — Press release Mongolia
“I am proud of the tangible results we have achieved together with our partners in all sectors that we are engaged in. Without modesty, I can say that we are making a difference - at national and provincial levels, but also at the level of people’s lives. The Mongolian artisanal small scale mining sector has been strengthened with ASM-related concerns anchored in important policies. More young people are attending vocational training schools and getting better chances to find a decent job. Local parliament members are empowered and better equipped to perform their duties, and recently initiated collaboration between the Mongolian Parliament Secretariat and Swiss Parliament Services have opened new avenues for partnership. The vegetables sector continued to be strengthened, e.g. by reducing vegetables imports from other countries. This list of our joint accomplishments is too long; I will never manage to be exhaustive.

An official visit of the President of National Council of the Swiss Confederation to Mongolia

04.07.2019 — Press release Mongolia
Marking the 55^th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 15^th year of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Mongolia, the President of the National Council of the Swiss Confederation Ms. Marina Carobbio Guscetti and the Swiss Ambassador to Mongolia Mr. Bernardino Regazzoni paid an official visit to Mongolia in June, on invitation from the Mongolian Parliamentary Speaker G. Zandanshatar.

Mongolia moves forward on rangeland protection

18.06.2019 — Press release Mongolia

With 57 percent of Mongolia’s rangelands already degraded, of which 10 percent are beyond recovery, the future for hundreds of thousands of herder families hangs in the balance. 

The urgency of situation was a call to action for the more than 850 people who gathered at Parliament House on May 7 to discuss ways to improve the current regulatory environment governing rangeland use and protection. Among them were 720 herders and representatives from all 21 aimags and 331 soums in Mongolia.

Improved access to services for survivors of gender-based violence

11.06.2019 — Press release Mongolia
Through the "Combating Gender-Based Violence in Mongolia" Project of UNFPA, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the Mongolian Government, seven new One Stop Service Centers (OSSCs) have been opened in five provinces - Khuvsgul, Bayan-Ulgii, Darkhan-Uul, Khentii, and Dornod - as well as two districts of Ulaanbaatar - Khan-Uul and Bayanzurkh - within the last year. Another two Centers are expected to be launched in Umnogobi and Uvurkhangai in 2019.

ASM Formalisation: Mongolia’s five ingredients for success

08.05.2019 — Press release Mongolia
An estimated 40 million people are engaged in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) around the world. We know that poverty is the most significant driver for this industry, and the dream of discovering a valuable deposit is hard to resist. In all countries, ASM remains predominantly informal; miners occupy the margins, and are a stigmatised sub-section of society living an economically and socially precarious existence. Governments and downstream companies are increasingly recognising that ASM, as the livelihood of many, could and should be considered a significant contributor to global development and granted a legitimate role in global supply chains. Formalising, legalising and regulating the sector has the potential to further many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from advancing gender equality to increasing the contribution of ASM to the local and national economy.

Call for art and culture project proposals

22.01.2019 — Press release Mongolia
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Mongolia is calling for proposals for art and culture projects with the aim to foster local cultural identity and artistic diversity and encourage the creative use of art for social transformation and development in Mongolia.

Federal elections 2019 – Vote!

18.01.2019 — Press release Mongolia
On 20 October 2019, elections will be held to fill Switzerland's 246 parliamentary seats. Swiss nationals living abroad, who are included in the Register of the Swiss Abroad, can vote for candidates and stand for election themselves.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis visits Mongolia

05.04.2018 — Press release Mongolia
The head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, is travelling to China and Mongolia this week for his first official visit outside Europe.

Migration: Ignazio Cassis signs readmission agreement with Mongolia

05.04.2018 — Press release EDA
Switzerland and Mongolia signed two agreements on Thursday following a meeting between Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis and Mongolian Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar in Ulaanbaatar. Both ministers confirmed the excellent relations between the two countries at the meeting. By signing the readmission agreement, Mongolia has pledged to take back any of its citizens living in Switzerland without a permit. The second agreement will exempt Swiss and Mongolian diplomats from the visa requirement in both countries.

Switzerland launches a new Cooperation Strategy for Mongolia 2018-2021

25.01.2018 — Press release Mongolia
On 25 January 2018, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) presented its new Cooperation Strategy which will guide Switzerland’s engagement in Mongolia for the next four years. For this, SDC earmarked a total of CHF 51.5 million, with an annual average expenditure of 12-13 million.

Swiss Scholarships Offer for 2020/2021

04.09.2019 — Local news Mongolia

The Swiss Confederation offers talented and interested young scientists and researchers a number of scholarships for 2020/2021. The scholarships are intended primarily for young post-graduate scientists who would like to go to Switzerland to carry out research. No university scholarships for bachelor or master studies are granted. For more details, please refer to www.sbfi.admin.ch/scholarships_eng

The application package can be obtained by e-mail from the Swiss Cooperation Office of the Embassy of Switzerland – Consular Section in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The deadline for application submission is 12:00, December 12, 2019. The applications will be collected at the Swiss Cooperation Office of the Embassy of Switzerland. Incomplete or poorly prepared applications will not be considered.

The Contacts:

Swiss Cooperation Office of the Embassy Switzerland-Consular Section

Sky Plaza Business Centre, Embassy Street 12, Khoroo 1,

Sukhbaatar district, P.O. Box 37, 14210 Ulaanbaatar

E-mail: uba.kanzlei@eda.admin.ch

Tel: +976 11 331422

Soum Development begins in the classroom

11.07.2019 — Local news Mongolia
We visited Burd and Khairkhandulaan Soums of Uvurkhangai Aimag in spring 2019 in order to report on the activities implemented by the Mainstreaming Social Accountability in Mongolia project (MASAM). Because of the season, it was windy and full of dust outside. However, inside the school classroom the people were full of warmth, understanding and respect towards each other.

Tender for the implementation of the project Education for Sustainable Development Phase 2

27.05.2019 — Local news Mongolia
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has been assisting Mongolia’s fundamental reforms in education since 2007. In 2014 SDC initiated the “Education for Sustainable Development” (ESD) project jointly with the Government of Mongolia.

Vocational training project changed the face of Mongolia's TVET sector

07.03.2019 — Local news Mongolia
February 28 marked the end of the Cooperative Vocational Training in the Mineral Resource Sector Project, which supported the reform of Mongolia's technical and vocational education training (TVET) sector.

Improving service delivery for urban residents through the Horizontal Learning Process

18.02.2019 — Local news Mongolia
SDC's Local Governance Initiative and Network (LOGIN) organised a three-day Horizontal Learning Process workshop in February for the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar (MUB) within the scope of the Urban Governance Project (UGP) implemented by The Asia Foundation.

First graduates of new career studies master's course receive their degrees

05.02.2019 — Local news Mongolia
The first 26 graduates of the new Master of Arts Programme in Career Studies were awarded their degrees from the National University of Mongolia on January 22.

“Green Pasture” pilot soft loan project has launched in cooperation with the KhasBank of Mongolia

04.02.2019 — Local news Mongolia
SDC's Green Gold Animal Health Project signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement a Green Pasture pilot project focused on providing herders with discounted interest rate loans in cooperation with KhasBank and the National Federation of Pasture-User Groups.

Representatives from all government levels in Mongolia discuss revision of local governance legal framework

31.01.2019 — Local news Mongolia
The Local Governance and Legal Reform Forum, held in Ulaanbaatar from January 15-16, marked an important step forward in local governance reform in Mongolia. The 270 participants shared their views on the first draft of the revised Law on Administrative Territories and their Governance (LATUG).

The first laureate of the Swiss Ambassador Art Prize Namuun Batbileg displayed her “ME-WE” photo exhibition

31.01.2019 — Local news Mongolia
In order to foster the cultural exchanges between Switzerland and Mongolia and to support the emerging artists of Mongolia, the Ambassador of Switzerland in China – also accredited in Mongolia – created a Prize of the Ambassador of Switzerland in Mongolia. 

Seven Herders Matching Funds transformed successfully into Savings and Credit Cooperatives

21.12.2018 — Local news Mongolia
“Our members are working to increase their savings up to 3.0 million MNT per person” said P.Tsogbadrah, Chairman of the Steering Committee of “Munkhiin Buyan Uguuj” Savings and Credit Cooperative of the Herders of Durgun Soum of Hovd Aimag.

Towards Responsible Rangeland Management

20.12.2018 — Local news Mongolia
The Mongolian National Federation of PUGs of Herders in cooperation with the Green Gold Animal Health Project of the Swiss Agency for Development and  Cooperation, the National Agency of Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring, the Agency of land Management, Geodesy and Cartography and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry organised the Mongolian National Rangeland Forum II on the 26th  of October in Ulaanbaatar.

First Phase of the Education for Sustainable Development Project Concludes Successfully

19.12.2018 — Local news Mongolia
Education for Sustainable Development is a concept developed by UNESCO that aims at turning  children and youth into environmentally and socially responsible world  citizens, by raising their understanding about global issues and with a more participatory pedagogical approach. The Government of Mongolia initiated a comprehensive reform process to mainstream Education for Sustainable Development from kindergarten to university and to promote green economy.