Visiting Scholar Lecture Series Examines Mongolia

The second annual Jay Nathan, Ph.D., Visiting Scholar Lecture Series of The University of Scranton’s Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Memorial Library is titled “Mongolia: History, Culture and Transformation.” It will take place on Wednesday, April 8, at 5:30 p.m. in the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center. Immediately following the panel discussion, artists from Mongolia will perform traditional music and dance. A reception will follow the performance. The evening is free of charge and open to the public. However, reservations are encouraged.

Panelists are Bulgaa Altangerel, Ph.D., his excellency ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the United States; Myagmar Saruul-Erdene, Ph.D., the Mongolian language and culture instructor at the Foreign Service Institute, U.S. State Department; Altantsetseg Sodnomtseren, consultant and manager of international programs and projects; Jay Nathan, Ph.D., professor of management at St. John’s University, Queens, New York; and W. Jeffrey Welsh, Ph.D., a professor of history and dean of the University’s College of Graduate and Continuing Education.

The lecture series invites international scholars from economically challenged and politically suppressed nations to visit the University to address issues that will enlighten and benefit students, faculty and the community-at-large. Its purpose is to enrich the intellectual life or share a cultural exposition in the arts or music for both the University community and area residents.

In addition to serving as Mongolia’s ambassador to the United States, Dr. Altangerel serves as non-resident ambassador of Mongolia to Israel and Mexico. Previous diplomatic posts include ambassador of Mongolia to the United Kingdom as well as non-resident ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, Ireland and Iceland. His distinguished career includes being a member of the board of directors of the Trust Fund for Victims of the International Criminal Court.

Dr. Saruul-Erdene’s teaching specialties include modern and historical Mongolian morphology, classical Mongolian script, Altaic linguistics and translation theory. He is the author of numerous books, research articles and translations. His conference presentations include “Color Symbolism in Mongolian Toponyms” and the “Main Thought Difference between Eastern and Western Nations and Its Influence in the Language.” He is the president of the Mongolian Cultural Center in Arlington, Virginia.

Sodnomtseren has more than 15 years of experience as a manager, policy analyst and researcher in strategic management, business development, institutional assessment, and higher education. She has served as a project coordinator of the World Bank and United Nations Development Programme since 2011. Her background includes extensive experience with international organizations and the government of Mongolia.

Dr. Nathan, who previously served as a tenured professor at the University’s Kania School of Management, is a Fulbright senior specialist to Mongolia (2008); a visiting professor to the National University of Mongolia; a member of the American Center for Mongolian Studies; and has published several research papers on Mongolia. He is the editor of the Journal of Global Awareness, past president of the Global Awareness Society International and a lifetime member of the Fulbright Association.

Prior to serving at The University of Scranton, Dr. Welsh was vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Thiel College in Greenville, and vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina, where he also served as a professor of history. He is affiliated with the Council of Graduate Schools, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Organization of American Historians and the National Council for History Education.

For more information, visit the Jay Nathan, Ph.D. Visiting Scholar Lecture Series at www.scranton.edu/academics/wml/events-and- programs/jay-nathan/index.shtm.

To register to attend the event, visit www.regonline.com/2015JayNathanLecture or call 570-941-7816.