The Embassy of Mongolia in the USA and the Mongolian Cultural Center jointly organized the XVIII Annual Conference on Mongolian Studies, which took place at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the Library of Congress on February 6-7, 2026.
This year, about 30 scholars, researchers, and experts from various educational institutions gathered for the conference, including the University of Montana, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University, North Carolina State University, the College of William and Mary, East Tennessee State University, Yale University, the American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS), the National Museum of Genghis Khan, the Mongolian State University of Education, and the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture.
In his welcoming speech, Ambassador Batbayar Olziidelger noted that Mongolian studies are an important tool for presenting Mongolia and its people in an international context. He thanked the conference organizers, as well as Mongolists and independent researchers for their contributions to spreading information about Mongolia's rich history and culture in the USA. The ambassador also emphasized that the participation and work of Mongolists in America play a key role in the development of this discipline.
During the conference, panel discussions were held on topics such as "The History of Mongolia," "Linguistics," "Culture and Art," "Archaeology," and "Society." The keynote address was delivered by Professor Christopher Atwood from the University of Pennsylvania, who presented his research in a talk titled "The Secret History of the Younger Brother of the Mongols: The Campaigns of Genghis Khan, Their Complex Fate, and Significance." This was followed by a lively discussion.
Conference participants also visited the Asian Division of the Library of Congress, where they explored rare books and works related to Mongolia. According to the Embassy of Mongolia in the USA, the total number of conference participants was around 100 people.
