It’s a mid-winter’s day and the temperature in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wanting to keep her family warm in their yurt — a portable, circular dwelling made of a lattice of flexible wood and covered in felt — and disconnected from the city’s gas utility system, a mother burns raw coal.

Smoke soon fills the yurt. With every breath, for more than an hour, the mother and her children ingest the smoke into their lungs.

More than 6,000 miles away, in January 2020, Shamsher Warudkar read an article in the bulletin of the World Health Organization. The article says that approximately 830,00 individuals living in Ulaanbaatar’s Ger Districts — located on the hills and mountains surrounding the city — are disconnected from Ulaanbaatar’s gas utility system. A UNICEF report says the lung function of children born and raised in Ulaanbaatar, where the average winter high temperature is 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit — is only 40% of their rural counterparts.

Warudkar, an aerospace engineering student at Arizona State University, asks Professor Jared Schoepf, director of the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program, what can be done to help.

Three years later, the mother burns more raw coal to heat the family’s yurt. But a small, solar-powered air-filtration system dissipates the smoke in less than 30 minutes.

The children breathe easier, thanks to a team of nine ASU students who saw a problem and invented a solution.

“The students were passionate on making a positive impact for the community members that needed it the most,” Schoepf said. “I’m very proud of them.”

Sun power

The project’s name is Project Koyash, named after the Mongolian god of the sun.

So far, students working on the project have sent 13 of the air-filtration systems to Mongolia, and team leader Bryan Yavari, a senior majoring in neuroscience, has formed a nonprofit corporation called Koyash, whose purpose is to raise funding for the assembly and shipment of as many units as possible.

“The goal is to obtain as much funding as we can because at the end of the day, we have the data to prove the system works,” Yavari said. “We’re working to develop a local supply chain. But that’s for the longer-term future. Right now, people’s lives are at stake, so we have to get as many units there as we can.”

The EPICS program at ASU consists of approximately 550 students whose goal is to design, build and deploy systems to solve engineering-based real-world problems centered around four themes: community development, education, health and sustainability.

“Students work with a community partner to define the problem,” said Schoepf, adding that EPICS teams are currently working on 70 different projects. “Rather than assuming the problem and the best solution for the community, the students complete a needs assessment where they work with the community to define the user needs and engineering design requirements.

“The example I love to use is that if someone said they need something that anyone in their family can use, that’s the user need. The engineering design requirement is, ‘OK, children ages 5 to 10 must be able to learn how to use the solution in under five minutes. Whatever we do must be simple enough that the children can help with the use of the solution for the long-term success of the project.'”

When Yavari, Warudkar and the rest of the team got together in the fall of 2020 (COVID pushed the project back several months), they started brainstorming by breaking the project down into two parts: What is the problem, and what are the user needs — which in this case was electrification and filtration.

Originally, the team investigated alternative fuel sources to reduce the air pollution; however, after talking with the community members, they realized those solutions were too expensive and outside air pollution would still enter their home and be unsafe for the families. Instead, they decided to investigate reducing the air pollution through filtration.

Because electricity isn’t available to families living in the yurts and Ulaanbaatar receives more than 290 days of sun per year on average, powering an air-filtration system with solar panels became the clear choice.

Solar panels outside of a yurt

The filtration system is powered by solar panels, seen here outside of a yurt in Mongolia. Photo courtesy Bryan Yavari

They connected the solar panels to a charge controller — the controller regulates the voltage supplied by the panels to batteries — and then connected the controller to a rechargeable car battery. The battery, through an inverter, was hooked up to a multi-faceted air filter — one side is an activated carbon filter and the other an air ionizer filter.

The system also contained an Arduino the team built — “it’s kind of like the brain of the system,” Yavari said, which regulates the battery percentage, turning the charging from the solar panel off if the battery percentage becomes too high. Therefore, the system will not overheat and will run autonomously.

Warudkar said that “a battery may or may not have been lit on fire at some point in the initial prototyping stages.”

Through testing

The team spent the entire 2020 fall semester testing the power system to see if all the components worked. The next hurdle was replicating the smoke-filled conditions in the yurts.

Fortunately, Warudkar’s sister, who lives in Tempe, has a shed in her backyard. The team covered up the ventilation holes inside the shed, purchased a meat smoker, packed it with coal and for nearly a year conducted tests, filling the shed with smoke in order to determine how the electrical components responded and what filters worked best.

Their system worked, obtaining an air quality index value of four; an AQI value of 50 or below represents good air quality.

Because most of the parts were purchased off store shelves, the per-unit cost came to only $400. Also, the inverter, battery and Arduino fit inside a weatherproof box that’s just 12 inches high, 8 inches wide and 6 inches deep.

“A lot of the inventions we do consist of taking parts that already exist and integrating them together in a new, unique way,” Schoepf said. “That’s something we push heavily in the class in terms of working with our international partners. The last thing we want to do is create something that’s so drastically complex there’s no way to fix it or do maintenance. This ensures long-term success of the project.”

With the invention validated, Yavari reached out to the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, which operates in the area. The team collaborated with the Mongolian Consulate, a system was sent for testing and, soon after, 12 more were shipped to Mongolia.

“This system is great for the families in Ulaanbaatar,” said Bayar Be, one of Project Koyash’s community partners in Mongolia. “It’s easy to use and effective at filtering the air.”

Yavari is currently collaborating on a research project with pediatricians to determine the impact their solution is having on the children’s lives.

“It makes such a big difference in those children’s developmental stages for the families that are there,” Yavari added. “It can help extend and save lives.”

BY Scott Bordow

Reporter , ASU News

Scott.Bordow@asu.edu

Last year by its Decree No.296, the Government of Mongolia newly approved the Regulation on Mineral Extraction by Micro-Mining. This regulation pursues the two main objectives: increase local employment and give artisanal miners areas damaged by mining activities for use towards further reclamation.

A joint consultation of the parties implementing the regulation on micro-mining was held yesterday in Ulaanbaatar to discuss the extent of implementation of the regulation, the problems faced by the parties implementing the regulation, and solutions thereof within the year since the approval of the regulation.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ecological Police Department, Khentiy, Selenge, Arkhangai, Uvurkhangai, Bayankhongor, Gobi-Altai, Uvs, Dundgobi aimags’ environmental inspectors and soum governors, where small scale mining is active, took part in the meeting, exchanged opinions on the implementation of the regulation and got a common understanding. The participants highlighted the effectiveness of supporting formal task units and improving accountability in the fight against illegal activities. They considered impossible to implement in practice the stipulation in the revised draft of the Law on Minerals to abolish micro-mining as a concept.

The consultation was initiated by the Mongolian Union of Micro Mining and organized in cooperation with the “Building Capacity to Counter Illegal Mining” Project of the Asia Foundation. The proposals from the consultation will be compiled and submitted to the stakeholders as recommendations.

The Energy Week Central Asia and Mongolia 2023 to take place in Astana on Sept. 19-20 will focus on advancing clean and renewable energy initiatives in the regions, reported the conference’s press office.

Transforming into a clean energy hub

The conference highlights the region’s significant potential in solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, and its cooperation with international companies to transform Central Asia into a clean energy hub.

“To achieve this, fostering a robust policy framework that encourages private and foreign investments is paramount,” reads the press statement.

Attracting investments

To encourage renewable energy adoption, transparent regulations, public-private partnerships, and financial incentives such as tax breaks or subsidies are essential for attracting the private sector investments.

Attracting domestic and foreign investment is a key step toward achieving sustainable development and energy security in the region, as Central Asian countries look to diversify their energy sources and reduce their carbon footprint.

Solar and wind energy

The conference will feature detailed discussion on solar photovoltaic technologies to establish grid-connected solar farms, distributed solar installations, and off-grid systems to power remote areas.

With decreasing costs of solar panels and improving efficiency, solar energy can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy security, and create job opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

Wind energy developments in Central Asia and Mongolia present a valuable opportunity to diversify their energy mix and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Green hydrogen potential

As Central Asian countries are strategically positioned to become major green hydrogen exporters, the region’s green hydrogen potential is highlighted as a key driver of a low-carbon economy.

“Abundant solar and wind resources offer a unique advantage in producing green hydrogen through electrolysis, a process that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity,” reads the statement.

The conference stresses that transitioning towards a greener energy mix, including hydropower, requires technological improvements, environmental considerations, regulatory consistency, and financial support.

To address these issues, the event will bring together high-level officials, state companies and banks from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, global developers, investors, and independent power producers such as Total Eren, ACWA Power, Svevind, EDF, and Voltalia, Singaporean government-owned consultancy Surbana Jurong, the largest renewables cluster of Türkiye ENSiA, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Italian Eni, Clean Energy Asia, Delegation of German Economy in Central Asia, the International Hydropower Association, and other institutions.

As part of the Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait Railway Complex Project, 811 wagons have been fully received at the border of Mongolia.

The innovative wagons manufactured at the Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant of Russia have been produced by the most advanced technology with the designated service interval of eight years or one million km. Due to dual wheel bearings and two-cylinder brakes or double brakes, the reliability of the train movement has been enhanced, bringing the exploitation term up to 32 years.

An exploitation of the innovative wagons in the railway transportation sector of the country will not only diminish the frequency of repairs and transportation costs, but will also be highly significant in increasing the export of mining products and currency inflow, reports the Ministry of Road and Transport Development.

The upcoming China-Mongolia Expo will make a great contribution to the expansion of trade and economic ties between the two neighbors, Mongolian Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry Khayangaa Bolorchuluun has said.

The expo is scheduled to take place in Hohhot, capital city of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Sept. 6-10.

"Our two countries agreed to hold this expo every two years. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not been held since 2019," Bolorchuluun said, noting that compared with the previous three expos, this 4th one will be held on a much larger scale.

"Preparations for the expo are generally complete. We expect that by holding the 4th China-Mongolia Expo, the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries will increase significantly," said Bolorchuluun, who leads the working group of the Mongolian side to prepare for the expo.

"China, which is our country's southern neighbor, is developing rapidly," he said, stressing that Mongolia has to keep up with the speed of China's development and cooperate with China.

"We have a lot to learn from China. Holding such an expo will allow our companies to learn (from) and exchange experiences with Chinese companies, cooperate with them and further expand trade and economic relations between the two," Bolorchuluun said, adding that during the expo, new know-how, experiences and innovations will be exchanged and agreements will be concluded.

At least 500 companies from Mongolia are expected to participate in the expo. In the previous three expos, most of Mongolian exhibitors were light industry companies, but this time more food manufactures will participate, the minister said.

"Mongolia aims to export organic food products such as meat, camel milk drinks and sea buckthorn to China. Therefore, many food manufactures are going to participate in this expo," he said.

China has been Mongolia's largest trading partner since 1999.

Mongolia and China achieved their bilateral trade target of 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, and are now actively cooperating in all fields to further increase the volume to 20 billion dollars, said the minister.

"So, in order to achieve the goal, I believe that it is very important to organize (more) joint events like this expo," he said.

Mongolia's foreign trade turnover expanded 27.9 percent year-on-year to 11.8 billion dollars in the first half of this year, according to the country's National Statistics Office.

China remained Mongolia's top export destination and import supplier in the January-July period, accounting for 73 percent of the latter's total foreign trade, data from the statistical agency showed.

The Minister of Road and Transport Development S. Byambatsogt met with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Mongolia A.N. Yevsikov on September 1, 2023, and agreed to jointly implement the major development project of the railway sector in the near future.

The Minister S. Byambatsogt spoke that Ereentsav-Choibalsan-Khuot-Bichigt railroad would become the central railway corridor connecting Mongolia, China and Russia. “At present, our country has only one railway crossing to China, i.e. Zamyn-Uud. By the commissioning of this railway, the number of cargos passing through Mongolia would increase, and the transportation volume of the three countries would grow hugely, which is of particular social and economic significance. Mongolia has signed an agreement with the concessionaire and is working to start the construction work in the near future. To this end, along the construction of the Choibalsan-Khuot-Bichigt railway, it is necessary to renovate the Ereentsav-Choibalsan railway. We have asked from Russia to cooperate in the start of the major overhaul in the near future”.

Also, the Bogdkhan Railway Project passing through Ulaanbaatar is critical for upgrading the capacity of the railway, creating work places in settlement areas, and reducing congestion. Since the Feasibility Study of the Project to implement in cooperation with the Russian Federation has been developed, it is required to urgently start the major overhaul, commence construction works, accelerate Zuunbayan-Sainshand railway capacity and train exchange, and establish technical compliance. Therefore, the Minister discussed with the Ambassador about intensive solution and implementation of these issues, and asked to convey them to the shareholders of the Russian side of the Mongolian-Russian Joint Venture Company "Ulaanbaatar Railway".

The Ambassador A.N. Yevsikov said that he would pay exceptional attention to immediate commencement of the major overhaul and modernization of the railway, expansion of the transport corridor of the three countries, and increase of cargo transportation. In addition, he expressed his desire to come to a consensus on how to make the Railway double-track, how to settle budgets and financing, and how to develop the Mongolian-Russian Joint Venture Company "Ulaanbaatar Railway", a symbol of friendship of the two countries, in the next 70 years.

The Financial Regulatory Commission approved the Capital City of Ulaanbaatar to publicly offer bonds worth of up to MNT 500 billion in compliance with the Law on the Legal Status of the Capital City of Ulaanbaatar, the Law on Debt Management, the Budget Law, and other legislation and regulations by the Resolution No.427 of September 1, 2023.

Yesterday the Head of the Financial Regulatory Commission D. Byambasuren handed over the consent resolution to the First Deputy Governor of Ulaanbaatar in charge of economic and infrastructure issues J. Sandagsuren.

The collected funds will be used for the investment projects and measures specified in the city budget approved by the resolution of the Capital City Citizens Representatives Meeting, and quarterly reports will be submitted to the Financial Regulatory Commission.

The First Deputy Governor of the Capital City J. Sandagsuren said, "The capital city bond is unique as the first local bond in Mongolia. In order to finance specific development programs, the Capital City of Ulaanbaatar has become ready to issue bonds and offer them to the market within the scope of the Law on the Legal Status of the City of Ulaanbaatar. We will report on our project, program and funding in conformity with relevant regulations and laws in due time."

Thus, public trading of bonds with maturities of up to five years with the aim of raising funds to solve the economic and social problems of Ulaanbaatar City has begun. Funds collected through bond issuance are planned to finance major strategic projects and measures such as decentralization of the capital, reducing congestion, expanding the network of highways and road facilities, and improving access to schools and kindergartens.

GAPE Academy, a designated place for ACCA students, with the support of MBD (Mongolian Business Database), has opened up an opportunity for students majoring in accounting and information technology in Australia.

After 1-year of successful studies and completion of the ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business at GAPE Academy in Mongolia, students will be able to continue their second year of studies for a Bachelor of Business in Accounting at Sydney Institute of Higher Education in Sydney, Australia.

In brief, a student will get a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and complete ACCA level II after studying for year 1 in Mongolia and years 2 and 3 in Australia.

Students who are interested in studying Bachelor in Information Technology (IT) program can study in Mongolia for 1 year and pursue their Bachelor of Information Technology course in Sydney.

After a 1-year successful completion of professional subjects, General English and Academic English subjects, students will be well equipped to continue their studies in Sydney, Australia.

Please contact Ms. Jargalmaa for more details.

Head of Professional Studies

Office number: 11-337788

Contact detail: 9991-0919

Email address: infogape88@gmail.com /for information/, gape.mongolia@gmail.com /for student support/

Address: City Tower building, 5th floor, #501, Sukhbaatar district, Khoroo #8, 14200, Square of Sukhbaatar.

Website: www.gape.education

Connect with us on:

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Pope Francis returned to Rome on Monday after the first papal voyage to Mongolia, expressing admiration for its people and those of neighbour China while acknowledging such trips were becoming more difficult to make.

The 86-year-old ventured to the vast, isolated Central Asian nation as a gesture of support to its tiny Catholic community, but the trip was overshadowed by apparent overtures to Beijing, with whom the Vatican for years has struggled to make inroads.

“Relations with China are very respectful, very. I have a great admiration for the Chinese people,” the pope told reporters on his flight home.

He added: “I think we need to go further on the religious side to understand each other better.

“So Chinese citizens don’t think that the Church doesn’t accept their own culture, their own values and that the Church represents another foreign power.”

Francis had made a similar point earlier, telling a group of missionaries on Saturday in Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar that governments had “nothing to fear” from the Catholic Church, in a statement widely seen as a reassurance to China.

He also directly addressed the Chinese people – some of whom were in the congregation of a Sunday mass, on pilgrimages unauthorised by Beijing – telling them to be “good Christians and good citizens”.

Francis, in the 11th year of his papacy, is anxious to make inroads for the Catholic Church in China, where a contentious 2018 deal renewed last year gave both Beijing and the Vatican a voice in choosing cardinals.

But an invitation to visit from Beijing is yet to arrive, and Francis on Monday suggested, as he ended the 43rd voyage of his papacy, that future trips could be limited.

“I’ll tell you the truth, for me taking a trip now, it’s not as easy as in the beginning, there are limitations, in walking,” he said, when asked what official visits he envisioned.

The pope underwent a hernia operation in June and knee pain forces him to rely on a wheelchair or cane. While in Mongolia, he walked unsteadily and often looked tired.

Mongolia, a young democracy since 1992 with freedom of religion enshrined in its constitution and a history of coexistence between religions, offered Francis an apt platform for an appeal for interfaith dialogue.

His gesture of support for its 1,400 Catholics also fulfilled his desire to reach out to often ignored areas far from Rome.

The Buddhist-majority former Soviet satellite state, sandwiched between China and Russia, counts just 25 Catholic priests – only two of them Mongolian.

“Dear brothers and sisters of Mongolia, thank you for the gift of friendship that I received in these days. Bayarlalaa! [‘Thank you’ in Mongolian] May God bless you,” the pope’s X account, formerly Twitter, said soon after his departure.

Earlier on Monday, during the pope’s visit to a homeless shelter and clinic on the outskirts of the capital, a group of women from mainland China sang in Mandarin, wiping away tears as the pope’s black car passed by.

“Dear Pope, our best wishes for you,” they sang.

Many Chinese Catholics who came to see the pope told authorities at home they were travelling to Mongolia for tourism, according to interviews with Agence France-Presse.

China’s government, which is officially atheist, is wary of the Catholic Church on its territory, and exercises strict control over all recognised religious institutions.

Mongolia has sought to toe a neutral line with its neighbours Russia and China, on whom it depends for imports of energy and the export of its coal, even as it reaches out to third countries, including the United States and South Korea, for balance.

Francis called himself a “pilgrim of friendship” during his trip to Ulaanbaatar, extolling Mongolia’s virtues while warning of the dangers of corruption and environmental degradation.

Mongolia has been marred by corruption and environmental degradation in recent years, with its capital suffering from some of the world’s worst air quality and an embezzlement scandal sparking street protests last year.

Vast swathes of the country are also at risk of desertification due to climate change, overgrazing and mining.