STUDENTS FROM KHANBOGD SOUM RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS
PRESS RELEASE
15 November 2017

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia – Today, the Government of Mongolia and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), under the joint Youth Development Programme, is granting scholarships to eight students from Khanbogd soum with funding provided by Oyu Tolgoi.

The scholarship programme is designed to inspire and support young people, and enhance their knowledge of human rights and life skills. The scholarship also aims at empowering young people to contribute to community development through opportunities for participation in decision making and for implementing their own initiatives.    

With the Sustainable Development Goals as the backdrop, the Government of Mongolia, OT and UNFPA are working to ensure that no one is left behind, especially amongst young people.

“Today, Mongolia has the largest population of young people in its history. If we’re serious about eliminating poverty and inequality by 2030, we must start with our youth,” says Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative in Mongolia.

“These scholarships, provided by Oyu Tolgoi, go a long-way in supporting young people, especially vulnerable youth, to be resilient to the challenges, and make meaningful contributions to their community.”

Oyu Tolgoi and UNFPA have been working together since 2015 to contribute to the development of young people in Khanbogd soum, Umnugobi aimag.

Through the OT-UNFPA partnerships, several initiatives have been launched, such as the establishment of a Youth Development Centre, the creation of the Youth Peer Education Network, an Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Clinic, and ongoing support of young entrepreneurs in Khanbogd.

“OT is committed to contribute to the education and knowledge of the Mongolian people, especially our younger generations, who will be the continuation of our great nation,” says Oyu Tolgoi’s General Manager Ms. Sh. Baigalmaa.

“We are happy that the scholarship recipients are taking part in various skill-building workshops, including human rights and life skills, and we hope that you will become the ambassadors in your community, leading and showing support to the people around you, utilising the skills and knowledge that you have learnt.”

The call for applications was publicly announced for 3 weeks via public networks, daily newspapers and information sites. Following a very rigorous selection process, eight eligible students were selected, six of whom are enrolled in the Mongolian State University of Education. The criteria applied were about whether they were from Khanbogd soum, whether they were in the field of humanities and social studies, whether they were active in the community, and the goals they aspired towards in life. Ensuring equality of opportunities was an important factor in the selection of the recipients.

Throughout the academic year, the scholarship awardees will receive a monthly stipend equal to the minimum wage, and be invited to take part in various training and workshops on citizen’s participation, human rights, gender-based violence, and others.

The scholarship awardees will be mandated to perform well academically, while also working to address challenges from their respective communities with support from the Centre for Citizenship Education NGO, one of the implementing partners of the Youth Development Programme.

Contact:

UNFPA: UN House, 14 United Nations Street, Khoroo 1, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; telephone: 353505; website: mongolia.unfpa.org; e-mail: jenkins@unfpa.org