GRÓ LRT visit to partners in Mongolia
The GRÓ LRT Director, Dr. Sjöfn Vilhelmsdóttir, traveled to Mongolia from January 18 to 25 to visit partner institutions, meet with senior management, and interview candidates for the GRÓ LRT annual six-month training in Iceland. Mongolia has been a key partner country for GRÓ LRT since the programme's inception in 2007. Over the past 18 years, GRÓ LRT has welcomed fellows from ten Mongolian institutions, including academic and research institutions, government agencies, and non-profit organisations.
During her week-long stay in Mongolia, the GRÓ LRT Director visited nine institutions, including the Agency for Land Administration and Management, Geodesy and Cartography; the Institute of Geography and Geoecology; the Research Institute of Animal Husbandry; the Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment; the National University of Mongolia; and the National Federation of Pasture User Groups of Herders. She also visited the Nature Conservancy Mongolia, GRÓ LRT’s newest partner organization, which will have its first fellows participating in the six-month training programme starting on February 28, 2025.
The GRÓ LRT Director’s visit to the Mongolian University of Life Sciences (MULS) was more extensive, covering both the Ulaanbaatar (UB) and Darkhan campuses. This visit was part of the GRÓ LRT and MULS Erasmus+ Mobility Project (2023–2026), which aims to further strengthen collaboration on teaching and training initiatives in restoration ecology. During the visit, the GRÓ LRT Director met with Professor Baasansukh Badarch, President of MULS; Mr. Sukhtulga Tserennadmid, Chief of International Relations and Partnership at MULS UB; and Dr. Mend-Amgalan Puntsagnamjil, Dean of Research and International Affairs at MULS Darkhan. A meeting was also held with key faculty members of the School of Agroecology at MULS UB. Additionally, the GRÓ LRT Director engaged with numerous former GRÓ LRT fellows who are now faculty members at MULS, both in UB and Darkhan. Short seminars were conducted at both the UB and Darkhan campuses, where the GRÓ LRT Director gave a talk on the GRÓ LRT Programme and land restoration efforts in Iceland. This was followed by presentations from a GRÓ LRT alumni, who shared their experience of participating in the six-month training programme and pursuing a PhD in Iceland.
Finally, the GRÓ LRT Director took the opportunity to reconnect with former Mongolian GRÓ LRT fellows—now totaling 37, the largest national group of graduates from the GRÓ LRT six-month training programme. The Mongolian alumni played a key role in organizing and facilitating the Director’s visits to partner institutions. They participated in meetings to discuss ongoing cooperation between GRÓ LRT and respective institutions and delivered presentations on their research and experiences in the GRÓ LRT training. To conclude the visit, the GRÓ LRT Director hosted a dinner for the Mongolian alumni in Ulaanbaatar, providing an opportunity for further engagement and reflection.
