After two hours of talking, I felt so proud of them. Their names are Chimedyudon Tsogdelger, Tuvshinbat Ganbat and Otgonbayar Ochirbat. They are Mongolian students, studying in the US, at the University of Utah, with Oyu Tolgoi scholarships. It is not a common occurrence – for young people to show such determination to realize their dreams, to study successfully at a world famous university, making Mongolia’s name known to the world. We present to you an interview with three young people who are able to fulfill such a dream on behalf of all Mongolians.
TUVSHINBAT GANBAT. Hailing from Orkhon aimag, his father worked at the Erdenet plant all his life and is currently enjoying a well-deserved rest. His mother is a kindergarten teacher who devoted her life to the noble task of raising younger generations. G.Tuvshinbat studied at the Technology college named in honour of the great statesman and hero of labor, Sh.Otgonbileg. He was given a golden opportunity to continue his studies in faraway America. However this golden opportunity was not so easy to attain. To enroll at the the University of Utah, even before taking his first exam he needed to write his autobiography and attend an interview, he successfully overcame these challenges, but unfortunately he fell short one point on his TOEFL exam. But he did not give up. He worked on improving his language skills and a few months later he went to the America of his dreams. Now he is studying metallurgical engineering. In two years he will graduate and return home. When asked about his studies he said, “American professors are more informal than our professors, they are close to the students and treat them like friends. They are very fair, they have strict requirements and evaluate a student’s knowledge precisely. How could you fail to learn in such conditions”. G.Tuvshinbat likes sport, particularly football.
CHIMEDYUDON TSOGDELGER. A rare name meaning 'Eternal feeling of goddess Green Tara', was given to her by the great Buddhist teacher, Bakula Rinpoche. Mongolians know this distinguished lama well. He fruitfully served many years as the Indian ambassador to our country. He developed ancient friendly ties between our countries and contributed greatly to rebirth of Buddhist faith in Mongolia. He built the Betub monastery in Ulaanbaatar with his own money .
This girl who received her rare name from Bakula Rinpoche, was born in Ulaanbaatar. Her father was member of the popular 1970s band “Smile” and is the talented composer D.Tsogdelger. Her mother D.Oyuntsetseg is a biologist. As a young girl Ts.Chimedyudon, dreamed of becoming a doctor, but this thought was completely reversed by her sister who studied law in the mining country – Canada. When she applied to the University of Science and Technology of Mongolia to study mining and enrichment technology, her parents were amazed.
Ts.Chimedyudon tell us, “Utah is a desert, but has many parks and gardens. The citizens always take good care of their gardens. In summer, it is hotter than Khanbogd, where the Oyu Tolgoi mine is located. In winter there is a lot of snow. Utah is a very safe and calm place. My roommate is an American girl from Washington, she is very nice and we have become close friends. When I first went to America, it seemed so strange that there were so many cars on the street and so few people walking. The young people there learn to have an independent life very early. The kids are given cars, as a present from their parents, when they are between 16-18 years old. Then they rent an apartment and start living alone. So how can one have time to party?”
Ts.Chimedyudon grew up in a family of artists and plays the piano well. In America, in her free time, she takes a ballet class. During her summer vacation she tries to learn to play the 'Morin Khuur' and wants to show to her friends back in America this wonderful traditional Mongolian musical instrument. Next year wants to start to learn fencing. She is a top student in her year and is well known, not only by her fellow students from many different countries, but also by the directors and professors at her university.
OTGONBAYAR OCHIRBAT.
From the far western Uvs aimag, he was born into a herder’s family near Ulaangom town, near the famous Chandmani Mountain. His parents are both geophysicists and hydroengineers. He accompanied them throughout his childhood on field trips and expeditions and decided to follow in their footsteps and become a geologist. In 2009 he graduated from secondary school in his homeland and enrolled in the Geology and Oil school at the University of Science and Technology of Mongolia. He also spent half a year in Malaysia learning English. During his time there he realised that “receiving education overseas is a must”. So he looked into scholarships to study abroad. Fortunately, he heard that Oyu Tolgoi announced a scholarship programme, he received the relevant information and began the meticulous preparations. His efforts paid off, the following spring he passed the exam and won a scholarship to study in America.
In between his study, O.Otgonbayar found time to visit Mexico where he taught English to Mexican youths for a few days. O. Otgonbayer says, “Compared to our country, the students there have difficult conditions. But observing how the Mexican students were really studying hard, even in such difficult conditions, was really touching. Mongolian youth have the opportunity to study well in Mongolia and to become the best professionals they can be. I hope people from my generation understand this. To study abroad you need very good English skills and also good mental preparation. Customs, religions and the environment are very different. If you are not used to being away from your parents for long, it is difficult, but Mongolians adapt easily.”
The President and CEO of Oyu Tolgoi LLC, Cameron MacRae, met with the scholarship winners before they went to America and told them to study hard and become good professionals for their country. They promised to fulfill his wishes. The efforts from our younger generations, to fulfill a promise, truly shows that they are masters of Mongolia’s future and a primary moving force for its progress.
We asked the students about their university and they said, “the University of Utah is one of the top universities, not only in America, but in the world. It is a state university and first became famous for its medical achievements. One interesting thing about our university is that in 2002 the Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City, it is the capital of the state of Utah. All the Olympic stadiums and facilities were transferred to the university and now the students live in dormitories where the Olympic athletes lived during the games. The student dormitories are very comfortable and just a short bus ride or walk from classes. A library, cafeteria, internet and all the necessities are provided. Drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco is prohibited on the student campus. Vodka is completely forbidden. There is only one shop that sells alcohol in entire city. American students don’t party in bars, quarel or get in trouble in their free time likeour students do. They focus on fitness and sports and like to visit historical, cultural and natural landmarks. Many student groups organise cultural performances, sports and games, and other events like tree planting.”
Tuitition fees, accomodation expenses, airfares, a living allowance and all the financing necessary for successful study are provided by Oyu Tolgoi and Rio Tinto Group. The ‘Utah three’ have nothing to worry about, except to study hard. They have a monthly allowance of US$150. In the short time they have been studying, they have managed to spend two months in an internship at the one of the largest copper mines in the world – the 100 year old Kennecott mine. Rio Tinto Group used copper from this Kennecott mine as well as metal samples from the Oyu Tolgoi deposit, to make 4,700 medals given to Olympic champions at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
For these three young students, who had never been separated from their families for long, it is obviously hard to live and study in foreign country. They communicate daily with parents and friends back home and listen to their advice. All this gives them the energy and the courage to study. Last week, for the first time, they visited the Oyu Tolgoi mine in the South Gobi. They said how glad they were to witness such a great construction in Mongolia.
When they first went to America, they were often mistaken for Inner Mongolians. But after the International Student Fair, where they proudly raised the Mongolian flag with Golden Soyombo dressed in Mongolian deels, their Nationality is no longer mistaken.
“The opportunity to study in America is open to the youth of Mongolia. However, the wish is not enough, the selection criteria is very high. It is not easy and it is particularly difficult if your English is not good enough,” says L.Udval, superintendent of training at Oyu Tolgoi. She says that some people have had to take the TOEFL exam eight times before they have been accepted to study in America.
Our trio share a dream – to successfully graduate from the university, master a profession and work at the fifth largest mining project in the world at Oyu Tolgoi. The time for the fulfillment of their dream is not far away. They will soon return America to pursue this dream. As they saying goes: “Like birds return home from far away lands, young kids will return home full of wisdom.” I wish the three of you a pleasant journey on the path to knowledge.
B.BATBILEG
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