A working team headed by the Minister of Education and Science L. Enkh-Amgalan worked in Japan between February 3-12. Over the course of this visit, several meetings were held on extending collaboration in the areas, including professional training, information technology, and capacity building of the university hospital.

Minister of Education and Science expressed gratitude on behalf of the Government of Mongolia.

During the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister of Education and Science L. Enkh-Amgalan expressed gratitude on behalf of the Government of Mongolia to the Government of Japan for their economic assistance, support, and valuable contributions to many sectors, especially economic, social and education sector development, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries.

For his side, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa said, “In addition to the official visits of the President of Mongolia U. Khurelsukh, Prime Minister L. Oyunerdene, and Minister of Foreign Affairs B. Battsetseg, I paid an official visit to Mongolia as well. This time, the Minister of Education and Science of Mongolia is paying an official visit to Japan, which is demonstrating the fact that the cooperation between our two countries has been actively developing. We will cooperate with Mongolia in the education sector which develops and inspires “Human”, a basis to strengthen relations and cooperation between people of the two countries in all sectors.

Readiness expressed to cooperate in education sector

During the visit, Minister of Education and Science L. Enkh-Amgalan met with Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan Keiko Nagaoka and put forth several proposals to cooperate. For instance, there are three Japanese-style KOSEN (College of Industrial Technology) colleges in Mongolia, where around 1000 students are studying. In the further, introducing the KOSEN education system to about 40 Vocational Training Centers and colleges of Mongolia and preparing highly skilled technical engineers will be our main goal. To that extent, the Minister of Education and Science requested the Japanese side to extend the operation period of KOSEN representative office in Mongolia.

In regard to agriculture, opportunities to train Mongolian students in Namegata city, Ibarake, let them do their intern there and gain best practices were also discussed. Number of students who study in Japan has drastically decreased due to the pandemic. Now the goal to increase the number to the same level as prior to the pandemic by 2027 has been set. Furthermore, since the 1000 Engineers Program has successfully completed, the Minister of Education and Science proposed to re-start the 2nd Program and cooperate on business projects of innovative start-up companies of Mongolia.

At the meeting, the two parties also exchanged opinions regarding the growing need for functional enhancement and human resource development at Mongolia-Japan Hospital affiliated to the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences and agreed to cooperate on this matter.

While expressing her readiness to support the cooperation in education sector, Ms. Keiko Nagaoka said that it is better to implement the investment projects through the JICA based on the agreement between Governments of Mongolia and Japan.

A new educational platform of Google will be introduced in Mongolia.

Minister of Education and Science L. Enkh-Amgalan, met with the representatives of the Google company and discussed their educational online tools for teachers and students.

During the meeting, the parties agreed to:

- Tailor the curriculum of information technology courses to the characteristics of each grade of secondary schools and Vocational training centers.

- Cooperate on equipping teachers with computers, and implement project to improve quality of education

- Introduce Google’s modern software and innovative applications for education and corporate digital solutions to eliminate the burden of outdated program, ease teacher’s work load and improve digital environment.

The 2nd phase of the Mongolia-Japan hospital project will be jointly implemented with JICA.

The officials from the Ministry of Education and Science working in Japan held a meeting with Tanaka Akihiko, President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at JICA headquarters. The Mongolian side put forth proposals to implement projects in science and innovation and cooperate in supporting start-up companies following the Mongolian Government’s policy.

The JICA side presented their decision to start the 2nd phase of the Mongolia-Japan hospital project, which was built using JICA grant aid, to build hospital expansion, prepare highly-skilled doctors and supply advanced medical equipment with high accuracy.

The sides then discussed implementing joint projects with Japanese university hospitals and health research centers.

Bolor-Erdene Battsengel wants to transform Mongolia into a “digital first” country — and help young people, especially girls in this sparsely populated nation of 3.3 million, to learn how to code.

During her time with Mongolia’s digital development and communications authority, including a year as vice minister, Battsengel, 30, worked on digitizing the country’s government services so people in remote areas don’t have to spend long days traveling and waiting in lines for access to things like passport renewals or filing taxes.

Today, Battsengel is completing a policy fellowship at Oxford University and runs Girls Code, which teaches girls from disadvantaged communities and nomadic families computer programming.

She spoke to The Associated Press about facing online harassment as a young woman in politics and about Mongolia’s unique position as a democracy nestled between Russia and China. Over 84% of Mongolia’s population is connected to the internet, up from just 18% a decade ago, according to the World Bank.

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

QUESTION: Why was this digitization project so important?

ANSWER: Mongolia is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. We have nomadic communities living in the countryside. Unlike the people in the cities, nomads would have to drive 5-10 hours just to get to their government facility.

And then they would, you know, have to stay there for a week to wait for the passport or come back. So now it’s very convenient. And one of the things I love about Mongolia is that now you can see a herder on a horse in the middle of nowhere, using e-Mongolia and registering a company or getting an ID card or looking at their social security etc.

Q: What is internet access like in Mongolia?

A: We have 330 small villages and towns in Mongolia. It’s a very big country for 3.2 million people and the most important thing I worked on was digital inclusion — I wanted to reach out to people who do not have regular access to the internet. Those are the communities who need to be connected, to be well-informed. So now we have internet in all 330 small villages and towns in Mongolia. And it’s relatively free, we haven’t banned any website or social media or anything like that. So actually the statistics on our spending on social media is quite high.

Mongolia is a democratic country. And it’s very interesting actually, being stranded between Russia and China and trying to protect our democracy. When they travel to Mongolia, I know a lot of people are shocked there is free speech. And now with social media and internet, a lot of things are coming out. For example, currently the Mongolian prime minister has a big fight against corruption. So a lot of parliament members are being prosecuted, resigning because of the corruption issues.

Q: Why did you leave your government post?

A: My vision always has been to transform Mongolia to a digital nation, because Mongolia is a very mining dependent economy. I genuinely still believe that digital technology will give us a second chance and it will be the second economic sector in Mongolia.

When I worked in government, it was typical that I would get a question asking me like, “Oh, whose assistant are you?” Or like, “Are you here to work as a waitress?” Whenever you see a young woman, it’s the stereotype. And even from the public, it’s an unusual image. And then I got a lot of cyberbullying from old male politicians because they would see me as a competitor. But I also got a lot of young supporters as well. So by the time I resigned, I needed to be able to fight against the system. But me being in the system, it was almost impossible to fight. I wanted to resign and then bring young people together, especially women together, and also tell them realistically what it is like to be in government as a young woman.

Q: What changes are you hoping for in Mongolia?

A: I always feel bad that the world does not know what’s happening in Mongolia, not aware of the things that we have done except like Genghis Khan or horses or these typical images. I really hope that the world learns about modern Mongolia. I believe it is the next tech hidden gem.

Q: Do you think that you will be able to push for them better now that you are organizing from the outside?

A: What I’m looking for, honestly, and hoping to achieve in the future is a generational shift in the government. Mongolia is very small country. We have to use young talent. And if you have been in the government for 20, 30 years, not understanding the modern world and not willing to accept advancement and human rights, etc., you can’t really make much change.

So for us to create change or create this society, we want young people, especially talented, well-educated, persistent young people, to join together. I get a lot of questions from Harvard graduates who are Mongolian but working in the U.S. Graduates from Cambridge, Oxford, who want to join the government or who want to come back to Mongolia and work. But still they’re on the fence. They can’t decide. So I hope we are going to bring those young people together.

A celebration ensued when Mongolia headed back to their locker room at the UG Arena, with everyone exchanging high fives and exulting following a masterful win over Singapore, Saturday night.

It was a match where the Blue Wolves could do no wrong, leaving their Southeast Asian foes searching for any answer that never came while the appreciative home crowd couldn't be any happier with what they saw.

They posted easily one of the most lopsided wins of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Pre-Qualifiers, but the 73-49 victory meant so much more than that.

It meant that they have accomplished their goal of making it to the Asia Cup Qualifiers. Yes, a stage much bigger, where the lights are brighter.

That's quite an achievement for a nation that had just made its FIBA seniors debut in the First Round of the Pre-Qualifiers last November, where they garnered attention in the region after winning three of their four matches.

But the Mongolian cagers aren't just happy to have made it. For national team stalwart Anand Ariunbold, it is just the start for him and the squad.

"Well, this is just the beginning," said the versatile 1.97 M (6'6") guard, who has been part of the Blue Wolves for about five years now.

It's only natural for Ariunbold to have faith with his team. After all, his teammates have become brothers. The entire team has become family.

But it's also because he believed that Mongolia basketball was about to head into the same trajectory it's in now, when the country emerged as one of the best in the world after achieving glory in the 3x3 stage.

In 2017, it won the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup following a 19-14 victory over New Zealand in Ulaanbaatar to become just the second team to cop the continental gold. The next two meets would see them finish with silver medals.

"Mongolia is considered the champion of the continent and one of the strongest teams in the world in the 3x3 category, and it is a sign that we all have the opportunity to compete in the 5x5 category," he said.

Ariunbold himself has made a name in the halfcourt game as well. Just a year after making his Blue Wolves debut in the 2018 Asian Games, he decided to dabble into 3x3 and steadily rose as one of its stars.

His crowning glory, perhaps, was winning the 2022 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Most Spectacular Player of the Year after shining with Sansar MMC Energy.

So, the 25-year-old has already represented his homeland multiple times in both events, thus the immense gratitude on his part.

"It is a dream of an athlete to represent his country," said Ariunbold, who aspired to become a pro back when he was 16 years young -- during his high school years in Japan. "Right now, I'm living my dream."

FUTURE IS WHERE HOPE IS

One could say that the seeds were planted over at 3x3 but nevertheless, Mongolia basketball is reaping the benefits of its efforts to develop the game and, most importantly, the young hoopers for the future.

Ariunbold was actually one of those who's part of the program's plans for the long-term. He was one of the youngest in that Asiad team at 21; now, he's become a key cog to the team mentored by Ijilbold Chimegdorj.

But what excites him more is the time when the talents currently gaining exposure and experience overseas join forces for the national team.

University of Dayton standout Mike Sharavjamts. Batbayar Narangerel of the Seoul Samsung Thunders in the Korean Basketball League (KBL). Bayasgalan Delgerchuluun with the Taichung Suns of Taiwan's T1 League.

And surely, there will be more players that will tread the same paths those aforementioned have taken, which would only make Blue Wolves veteran Sanchir Tungalag beaming with pride -- being a trailblazer himself.

For starters, the 33-year-old legend was the first Mongolian pro baller to play in a foreign league in two decades when he played for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in 2015.

Once all those ripened talents make up the pack, Ariunbold is convinced that they can all make a 'big statement in the region,' something that they could do when the Asia Cup Qualifiers get rolling later this year.

"I think that Mongolian basketball will be able to compete with the big Asian powers on the world stage in the future," he said. "We have full potential to compete strongly at the Asian level."

"With the future of Mongolian basketball, with young players starting to play in the U.S. and other major leagues, the Blue Wolves are close to making a big statement in the region," added Ariunbold.

FIBA

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--February 27, 2023--

Entravision (NYSE: EVC), a leading global advertising solutions, media and technology company, announced today that its Asia-based digital business unit has become the Authorized Sales Partner in Mongolia of Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

"This partnership reinforces our commitment to advertisers and their agencies to connect brands to consumers through local strategic support, creative expertise and relevant in-market training," said Pieter-Jan de Kroon, Chief Executive Officer of Entravision Asia. "As we continue to expand our presence throughout Asia, we are thrilled to partner with Meta as their Authorized Sales Partner in Mongolia to equip and empower local businesses with the most advanced and effective advertising solutions."

As an Authorized Sales Partner of Meta, Entravision will provide a dedicated local team, strategic direction, support, training, lines of credit and local billing to advertisers in the Mongolian market to enable them to meet their business objectives.

"Mongolia is an important country for Meta, and it is a priority for us to invest in the market and to be closer to the people and businesses here," said Jordi Fornies, Managing Director of Emerging Markets for APAC at Meta. "As such, we are excited to introduce Entravision as Meta's Authorized Sales Partner in Mongolia. With robust local expertise and insights, we can provide better support for businesses and agencies to help them to emerge from this challenging time stronger and further unlock their potential growth."

About Entravision

Entravision is a leading global advertising, media and ad-tech solutions company connecting brands to consumers by representing top platforms and publishers. Our dynamic portfolio includes digital, television and audio offerings. Digital, our largest revenue segment, is comprised of four business units: our digital sales representation business; Smadex, our programmatic ad purchasing platform; our branding and mobile performance solutions business; and our digital audio business. Through our digital sales representation business, we connect global media companies such as Meta, Twitter, TikTok and Spotify with advertisers in primarily emerging growth markets worldwide. Smadex is our mobile-first demand side platform, enabling advertisers to execute performance campaigns using machine learning. We also offer a branding and mobile performance solutions business, which provides managed services to advertisers looking to connect with global consumers, primarily on mobile devices, and our digital audio business provides digital audio advertising solutions for advertisers in the Americas. In addition to digital, Entravision has 49 television stations and is the largest affiliate group of the Univision and UniMás television networks. Entravision also manages 45 primarily Spanish-language radio stations that feature nationally recognized, Emmy award-winning talent. Shares of Entravision Class A Common Stock trade on the NYSE under ticker: EVC. Learn more about our offerings at entravision.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Meta

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are included in accordance with the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results and performance in future periods to be materially different from any future results or performance suggested by the forward-looking statements in this press release. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from these expectations, and the Company disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements made by the Company. From time to time, these risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230227005003/en/

Tamir Khangal’s stunning performance in Thailand solidified Mongolian athletes' status as a contender to watch out for in the world.

Tamir Khangal is a Mongolian professional volleyball player who plays as an opposite hitter in Nature Med Noyon of the Mongolian National Premier League. He headed to the Land of Smiles in November 2022 to play in Nakhon Ratchasima VC of the Volleyball Thailand League 2023.

The tournament kicked off on November 18, 2022, in both men’s and women’s events, and ended on February 26, 2023.

Nakhon Ratchasima Huione QminC, former seven-time winners, captured their 8th title following their sensational 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-21) win against Phitsanulok VC, without losing a single match to their respective rivals in this top-level professional volleyball league in Thailand.

This year's Volleyball Thailand League was remarkable for Mongolians as the 192 cm tall Tamir Khangal from Mongolia earned Men’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). Furthermore, he was selected as Men’s Best Opposite Hitter of VTL 2023.

Mongolia joined the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) as the 82nd member country in 2021. As a result, Mongolians have become able to use electronic foreign passports with high confidentiality in accordance with international standards.

E-passport, which contains an electronic chip, holds the same information on the passport's data page: the holder's name, date of birth, and other biographic information, and helps to securely identify the traveler, provide protection against identity theft, protect privacy, and reduce fraud. The automatic e-passport reader machine facilitates the fast clearance of travelers at immigration checks.

Starting from March 1st, people can apply for either the new edition of the ordinary national passport or an e-passport.

In Mongolia, the first reader machine has been installed at "Chinggis Khaan Airport".

According to the National Statistics Office, the current account balance of payment was in deficit of USD 2.9 billion in 2022 and increased by USD 767.3 (36.4%) million compared to the previous year.

This deficit in the current account was mainly due to increase in deficit of USD 263.2 million in trade in goods and increase in deficit of USD 661.6 million in the trade in service deficit compared to the previous year. In December 2022, the current account was in deficit of USD 195.3 million and increased by USD 189.0 million from the previous month.

In 2022, by the preliminary results, credit of trade in services reached USD 1.1 billion, increased by USD 265.3 million, and debit of service trade reached USD 3.4 billion, increased by USD 926.9 million compared to the previous year. The trade in service balance deficit reached USD 2.3 billion and increased by USD 661.6 million compared to the previous year.

The capital account was in surplus of USD 168.8 million in 2022 and increased by USD 54.8 million compared to the previous year. In December 2022, the capital account surplus reached USD 19.5 million and decreased by USD 0.5 million compared to the previous month. In 2022, the financial account was in surplus of USD 2.2 billion and increased by USD 186.0 million from the previous year. In December 2022, the financial account surplus reached USD 608.3 million and increased by USD 467.4 million compared to the previous month.

The balance of payment was in deficit of USD 727.2 million and increased by USD 505.6 million compared to the previous year. In December 2022, the balance of payment surplus reached USD 469.7 million and increased by USD 307.1 million compared to the previous month.

Source: National Statistics Office

The Board of Directors of “Tavantolgoi” JSC held a meeting on February 25 and made a decision to distribute dividends.

The company planned to distribute about MNT 61 billion as dividends in accordance with their business plan for 2022. However, the Board decided to distribute dividends of MNT 2743.80 per share, totaling MNT 144 billion, considering the preliminary net profits.