Sustainability Event May 5th - Charles Krusekopf

Dr. Charles Krusekopf

Just  letting you all know about a sustainability-related event happening today (May 5th) at 7:00pm that may be of interest. Dr. Charles Krusekopf, executive director of the American Center for Mongolian studies & director of the Royal Roads University School of Business in Victoria, British Columbia, will be giving a talk in the Library Presentation room (Wilson Library 164f) entitled: "Natural Resource Development in Mongolia - Impacts on Culture, Environment, and Government."

 Since the mid-2000s the Mongolian economy has boomed, fueled by the development of the coal, copper and gold mining industries. The development of major mines by multi-national corporations and a gold rush involving thousands of artisanal miners across Mongolia has upset traditional ways of living, leading to disputes over land and water. New mining projects and infrastructure have impacted wildlife, destroyed archeological sites and displaced local people. Corruption has grown and democracy has been undermined as politicians seek to benefit personally from their power to allocate mining rights. This session will examine the impact the natural resource boom over the last decade has had on Mongolia’s political system and government, the natural environment, and tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

This event is being offered as part of WWU's two-day "Mongolia Days" celebration. For more information about Mongolia Days, see this link.

Mongolia Days are sponsored by Western Libraries, Woodring College of Education, the Center for East Asian Studies, and the Center for International Studies. Programs are made possible by the generous support from Henry G. Schwarz, John C. Street, and Susan Bradbury.